Harry Potter and the Black Obsidian Room
by Druscilla Grace
Summary: It is Harry's seventh and last year at Hogwarts. A secret box, a trip to Godric's Hollow, two new teachers, death, and love. R&R please! Ch. 12 is up.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One  
One Last Dursley Visit

Harry woke up at number four Privit Drive a week after his sixth year at Hogwarts to a loud crash from downstairs. He sat straight up in his bed and looked around for his round glasses. He found them on his bedside dresser and shoved them on his face and padded out his room and down the stairs.

"Get off me!" whispered a girls voice.

"Wha- I'm not on you..."

"Then _what_ are you sitting on?"

"Oh, sorry, well, shall we go get him?"

While they had been talking, Harry had been sneaking up on them. He grabbed the boy around the middle and yelled "GOTCHA!" the boy jumped into the air and screamed.

"What's going on down there!" yelled a voice from upstairs and Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley Dursley came wobbling, stomping, and fumbling down the stairs. "Who are you and what are you doing in my house? I do not tolerate your kind in this house!" he yelled, looking at their robes. "Get out NO-" he suddenly fell back, stiff as a board.

Harry looked around and grinned at a guilty looking Hermione. "I've been wanting to do that for years Hermione, you two want to come up to my room?" They both obliged and followed him up the stairs.

"So, you guys know anything the newspapers don't?" Harry asked once they made it up to his room.

"No, we've been too busy setting up the wedding." Hermione said from the bed.

Harry looked up at Ron, who was busy looking at his TV, "When's the wedding set for?"

"Hm? Oh, a week from today. Mum's frantic, but she's getting on better with Fleur.

Charlie's coming in, so are Dad's parents, and some of Mum's family, Fleur's Mum, Dad, and sister are coming. We're having it in front of the garden."

Harry started packing. "How are we leaving? Are we going to Apparate? Since Hermione's got her license they won't catch on.

"Yea." Hermione answered as she went to help him pack. Once they had checked every nook and cranny for anything Harry would ever possibly want, he was never coming back here, they went downstairs to the Dursleys. Dudley ran and Petunia looked up at Harry, she stood up.

"Harry, what is going on?" she asked in a dignified voice, hiding her indignification just barely. She ignored the other two magical folk and looked Harry in the eye.

"I'm leaving. Once and for all. I'm never coming back, and I can't say I'm sorry...I couldn't be more happy." Harry answered coldly, icily staring back into her eyes. She looked horrified and started mumbling. She started fiddling with her hands, "hold on a moment..." she muttered and ran up the stairs.

An old man with a long silver beard was sitting in a small pub in London, he kept looking at the door, as if expecting someone. He sipped a bottle that looked like root beer and never seemed to go empty. The bell over the door tinkled and a figure came in from the pouring rain and blowing wind. It looked around and, spotting the old man, came over to his table.

"Ah, my dear, how are you on this not-so-fine evening?" Asked the man.

The figure pulled down its hood, revealing a woman's head, she had high cheek bones and a very long neck. "Just get on with what you want Albus." she whispered quickly.

Dumbledore steepled his fingers and stared at her over his half moon spectacles. He took a deep breath. "Very well, you were always impatient. Harry has been doing well at school." petunia sniffed. "you must be at least a little proud, he IS your nephew."

"Not by any choice of mine" she scowled.

"Anyway," he continued, as if not interrupted, "this summer, he will leave you, possibly never to come back. There are things I have no time to tell him, these things I have written in a letter. Things about his mother, and his father, and about Severus Snape." her ears perked up and her eyes narrowed. "I also have a few bottles for him. All of this is in here." he took out an ornately carved oak box and sat it on the table. "Don't even try to open it, only he can, and you must give it to him, it could mean the lives of many people if he doesn't receive this. On the day he leaves Privit Drive forever, give him this. Answer no questions, just give it to him and bid him goodbye."

Petunia took the box and left the pub, back to Privit drive and her sleeping husband.

Harry looked at his aunt as she came carefully down the stairs carrying in front of her a wooden box. He looked at his friends, who were giving him quizzical looks. Petunia Evans Dursley took a deep breath and faced her sisters flesh and blood.

"Earlier in the year, someone told me that, on the day you leave this house forever, I was to give you this. I cannot answer any questions, just say goodbye, one last time." she handed the box to Harry. "Don't open it now, do it later, away from here, when you are alone." she started to turn away but stopped, "Harry-you remind me so much of Lily, I-I" she swallowed. "I really am sorry she is gone, I just...never mind, it's in the past..." Then she did something she had never done before, she reached out, grabbed Harry, hugged him, and kissed him on the forehead. "Goodbye, Harry"

"Let's go Harry." Hermione said from behind him. He nodded and thought hard on the burrow, clenching the box and his belongings. When he opened his eyes, he was in the field facing the Burrow.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two  
The Burrow

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting in Ron's room eating a breakfast in bed. When Mrs. Weasley had seen them coming up the lawn through the kitchen window, she had ran out and engulfed Harry in a suffocating hug. She had then turned to the others with the same thing, though not as rough. She ushered them into the kitchen and hurriedly finished up the breakfast she had been preparing. Ron had told her they would eat in his room and she laid the food out on three plates and waved them upstairs.

Now, they were there, looking at the strange box, trying to figure out if they should open it.

"She didn't say who gave it to her. I don't know Harry, it could be bad...we should get a member to check it for dark magic." Hermione said skeptically.

"Aw, 'Mione," Ron choked out. He swallowed the large mouthful of bacon and eggs. "she wouldn't give 'im something unless she was sure it was ok."

"Yea, maybe before, but now, after that last thing she did...I don't think she would hurt me, she seemed to actually...care..." Harry took a bite of toast.

"Go on Harry, open it." urged Ron.

"I don't know, she said open it alone..." Hermione looked about to protest. "No, Hermione, I think that I'll be ok, when we get done with this, I want you two to go downstairs, lock this door, and don't bother me. OK?" he looked at his friends, they sat there, looking into each others eyes. Before they could argue, there was a scream from downstairs. They glanced around and bounded down to the kitchen, drawing their wands.

They saw Mrs. Weasley standing at the window, washing dishes.

"Mum, what happened?" Ron demanded.

"What?"

"You screamed."

"Oh, that, I cut myself, these knives, they're dangerous. Why don't you go and help the others, they're getting everything ready." She smiled at them.

They were forced out of the kitchen and went towards the garden, where they had seen Bill and Charlie.

"Hey Harry!" Shouted Bill. "How're things?" asked Charlie as they walked up.

"Fine, what are you doing?" answered Harry, distantly, still thinking about Mrs. Weasley.

"Degnoming the garden, picking up weeds, planting some fast-growing bleeding hearts. Were you sent to help?" when they nodded he put them to work throwing out the gnomes.

Since they were in a different part of the garden then Bill and Charlie, they could continue with the box openly.

Hermione was the first to break the silence. "Who do you think it's from?"

"I don't know." Harry picked up a gnome and began to swing it. "wait," he stopped and the potato like creature bit him. "ow, you stupid-" he threw it over the fence. "but I did see something on the lid. AD was carved into it...it was in old English looking script. Is that familiar to any of you?"

"AD? AD, AD, Albus Dumbledore?" guessed Ron.

"Of course," Hermione slapped her forehead. "Didn't you tell us that your aunt got a howler that sounded like it was from Dumbledore? She must have been in contact with him."

Harry remembered, that makes sense. But why didn't he just give it to him? It would have been so much easier to have done that, he could have explained everything and talked it over.

"Harry, are you ok?" Harry looked up, Ron and Hermione was looking at him in concern.

"What?" he felt something on his cheek, he reached up and found it was a tear. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine." he mumbled, looking down and wiping his eyes clean. "Lets hurry and get this done." 

They said nothing the rest of the time. Three hours and many dizzy gnomes later, hot, sweaty, tired, and covered in dirt, they all stomped in for lunch.

The table was groaning from the weight of the food that Mrs. Weasley had prepared, with, from the looks of some otherworldly dishes, the help of Fleur. Eight chairs were gathered around, which was funny to Harry, and when he asked, Ron told him that Fred, George, and Mr. Weasley were still working and that they hadn't started their short vacation time yet.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Bill, and Charlie sat down as the others straggled in. Fleur sat beside Bill, witch was a good change from last time Harry had been here and she had sat in his lap at meals. Ginny came running in, Harry gave her an awkward smile, she froze when she saw him and returned the smile quickly before looking down and sitting on the other end of the table. Mrs. Weasley was the last one to come in, which was unusual, but Harry figured she had a lot on her mind, and they dug in.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three  
This Wasn't in the Wedding Plans...

The next few days flew by in a rush of cleaning, new arrivals, nervous breakdowns, and fittings. Family members apparated in from all over, Mrs. Weasley made sure everyone who was part of the wedding had the appropriate robes. Dress robes had to be mended and added to, decorations had to be put up, Harry was amazed at the work that went into such a small wedding. Before they knew it it was the day before the wedding date.

Everyone had arrived except Fleur's family. They should be arriving any time though, they were apparating in for the night and leaving the day after next. Everyone had just finished eating and was sitting next to the fire talking and listening to the radio when there was a knock at the door. Mrs. Weasley got up to open it and 3 people walked in. Fleur jumped up and ran to them.

Fleur led them into the room. "Everyone, zis is my family, my fazzer, Amaury, my muzzer, Sylvie, and my sister, Gabrielle." everyone nodded to them and Fleur started them around the room and began the introductions. When she got to Harry, she looked up at her parents, "Zis is 'Arry Potter, the boy 'oo helped Gabrielle." They smiled down on him and Gabrielle ran to him and wrapped him in a hug.

" 'Ello 'Arry." she said, looking up at him.

"Hey Gabrielle," Harry laughed.

Everyone had finally retired to bed when Mrs. Weasley looked at the clock and noticed it was nearly midnight. She had ushered them all up to bed, but none of them slept. Harry was laying in his bed in Ron's room, looking at the ceiling, trying to clear his head when he heard a weak yell. "Molly...Molly...Mo-" there was a thump, like someone had collapsed. Harry looked over into the other bed to see Ron looking at him.

"Wanna go see what's going on?" whispered Ron, "I have a couple of extendables." Harry nodded and the two crept down the stairs, which was a feat as to they each creaked menacingly. The door to the kitchen was cracked open, it was easy for them to throw out the ears and settle down to listen. 

"Molly...they know...about the...wedding..."

"It's Lupin!" Ron held up his finger for Harry to hush. They heard running water, Mrs. Weasley was pouring him a glass of water.

"Thank you," Lupin sounded a little stronger, but when he continued, it was haltingly, it sounded as if every word caused him pain. "They know, they think it a good way...to get rid of a portion...of the order. They're going to come," he was racked by a coughing fit. When it passed, he continued. "going to come and try to ruin it...and kill some of you...in the process."

Harry had moved to where he could see the two adults. Lupin looked up at Mrs. Weasley.  
"Molly, you must postpone the wedding, you have to be ready..."

"No, this wedding will not be disrupted. It is going to be a happy, happy day, and nothing bad is going to happen, and if it does, we can deal with it." Mrs. Weasley put her hands on her hips defiantly.

"But Molly..." she glared.

"OK, but, I'm calling Moody and Tonks, the more the better." The effort finally proved to much for him as he slumped down onto the table. Mrs. Weasley threw a blanket over him and walked towards the kitchen door-the door Harry and Ron were hiding behind.

"Run!" whispered Harry.

Before they knew it they were being shook awake by Mrs. Weasley, the sun was still rising.

"Aw mum..." mumbled Ron.

"Aw Ron.." Mrs. Weasley mimicked, "Get up lazybones, both of you, get dressed, we have a wedding to get to!" She was practically hopping with either nervousness or excitement, Harry couldn't tell which. They hurriedly pulled on their dress robes and went to help with last minute preparations.

"I wonder if anything's gonna happen like Lupin said." Harry said in an undertone to Ron.

"I dunno mate, but I do know I'm taking my wand with me, along with one of Fred and George's shield belts." said Ron.

By 1 o'clock everyone was in the garden ready for the wedding to start. As Lupin had said the night before, both Moody and Tonks were there, Tonks supporting Lupin, he looked as if a hippogriff had been offended and he was the offender.

"Poor Lupin." Hermione popped up behind them, making them jump. "What's up? Why are you so jumpy?" They quickly filled her in on what they had seen the previous night, they had not seen her since Fleur's family arrived.

"So we need to be on our guard." finished Harry.

"Yeah," murmured Hermione, she looked up and saw Bill standing at the alter. "Oh, it's about to start."

Harry looked at Bill, it was the first time he had a good look at him since the end of school. His face was completely different, covered in scars, but it was still Bill. Same ponytail, same posture, same dragon claw earring.

Music started playing and Gabrielle came out, holding a basket. She started walking down the aisle, strewing flowers along the walkway. When she got up to the front, the music changed and everyone stood up, Fleur came into view. Harry was speechless, she was beautiful, well, more so than usual, her dress was pure white with pearls sewed onto it, it shimmered magically, her train trailed a yard behind her. She had a blue chocker with a ruby dangling from it. Her hair was long and flowing.

She made it up to the alter and the Priest looked at them and at the audience. He started the ceremony and Harry, who was nervous after hearing Lupin the night before, couldn't pay attention, he kept looking around, looking for any sign of trouble. He saw Hermione, she was intent onto the ceremony, apparently dreaming of her own wedding. When the priest asked do you, she mouthed I do. Harry looked back at the alter in time to hear "You may now kiss the bride." Bill and Fleur obliged and everyone cheered. They went around to the back where the reception food was laid out.

"Toss the flowers Fleur! All you ladies get out there and try to catch it!" Mrs. Weasley urged. So far, everything was going great. Harry pushed Hermione forward.

"But, Harry, wha-" she stuttered.

"Go on Hermione, have fun!" Harry yelled and pushed her on.

Fleur laughed and turned around, she tossed the bouquet. Hermione jumped up and caught it with no trouble. She ran back to Harry and Ron. Her and Ron locked eyes for a moment and looked away, blushing furiously.

Harry grinned and looked away nervously. He saw Ginny, she was wearing dark blue dress robes that shimmered in the sun. She noticed him and made a point to avoid his gaze, she had taken it well at the end of the year when Harry broke up with her, but it still must have hurt. Harry felt bad for making her feel that way, but he felt that it was the right thing to do. Everyone sat down around the tables, Bill and Fleur at the head. Everyone passed them gifts which they opened enthusiastically. The meal was great and everyone propped back and shared stories.

"Well, nothing happened Harry, apparently Lupin was lead on a loo-" Hermione stopped suddenly, looking intently over Ron's shoulder. She reached for her wand, "or maybe not...look over there, in the trees, I could have sworn that I saw something move." Harry and Ron looked at where she indicated.

"Hermione, I don't see anything." said Ron, squinting at the spot.

Hermione looked dubious, "You're sure you don't see anything."

"I'm sure, the sun's setting, shadows are moving around, it was probably just a trick of the eyes," soothed Harry, _I hope _he thought to himself.

He was wrong. Suddenly, apparently out of nowhere, over a dozen black robed figures jumped out and started firing hexes and curses. Everyone jumped, having just been relaxed and without a care, into action. The ones who had their wands started firing counter jinxes and curses at the Death Eaters. "I guess Lupin was right after all!" shouted Harry. Ron, Hermione, and Harry ran out and started after three of the attackers.

Everyone was going crazy, shots of light were flying everywhere, remnants of food was slung around the yard. Harry was dueling a tall, fast, slender one, he assumed it was a witch. _levicorpus _he thought, and his opponent was jerked up into the air by their ankles, their hood fell back and the mask came off, it was a witch, with dark hair and eyes.

"So Bella, out for an evening walk?" asked Harry, he tried to stun her, but she blocked him and flipped herself upright. Apparently loving Snape had told his fellow death eaters his spells.

"You can't get me that easily Potter!" she laughed, "If the Dark Lord didn't want you for himself, I would get rid of you now, but oh well, I can still _Crucio!_" she yelled.

Harry prepared himself for the curse, he heard someone screaming, but it wasn't him. He looked up and saw someone writhing on the ground in front of him with Belatrix laughing maniacally in the background. He looked to see who was on the ground, and saw red hair and blue robes.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey everybody. Thanks for all of the reviews, they make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! lol. Well, enjoy this chapter, but don't hate me once you get done alright?

**Chapter Four  
One for Him, None for Us**

"Ginny! NO!" Harry yelled. "Incendio!" Belatrix's arm caught fire and Ginny fell limp. Belatrix screamed and another death eater looked over.

"Lestrange! Go back!" There was a pop and the only trace left of the dark witch was a cloud of smoke from her arm. "Fall back! Fall back! We've done what we came to do!" There were a few more pops and the rest of them left. Harry dropped down beside of Ginny, she was still.

"No, no no no, please, let her be ok..." Harry moaned. He looked around and saw Ron and Hermione close by, clinging to each other. Ron looked at him and his eyes slid down to the heap that was Ginny laying on the ground. He looked back up at Harry with a look of dread, he jumped up, dragging Hermione along, and ran to Harry. He was checking her neck for a pulse, it was there, going very fast.

Harry heaved a sigh of relief, "She's alive. We need to get her inside." Him and Ron picked her up and started towards the house.

"What happened, Harry?" Asked Hermione.

"I was dueling with Belatrix, she lifted her wand and said 'Crucio', I shut my eyes and apparently she ran out in front of me. It hit her. I set Belatrix on fire and the lead Death Eater called everyone back." Hermione had a look of disbelief on her face.

"She should have known better..." she whispered.

When they got inside they lay Ginny on one of the couches, Harry ran to wet a cloth to wipe off her face. Others straggled in, some being supported, but most looked ok. Until Bill and Lupin came in, carrying someone between them. They laid them on one of the other couches, and backed away slowly. Mrs. Weasley ran in and looked around.

"Oh, no..." mumbled Ron. He was looking over at the person, Harry followed his gaze and saw red hair.

"No, no no no no no," moaned Mrs. Weasley, "Charlie, no no no, this can't happen, it's supposed to be a happy day," she was sobbing. Mr. Weasley walked over and felt his son's neck, his face fell, he shook his head and knelt down beside his wife, in a state of what had to be shock.

Harry heard a disbelieving 'no' and a sob and turned to see Ron being comforted by Hermione.

"They all got away, we didn't get anyone," growled Moody from behind Harry, making him jump. "One for him, none for us. I saw you with Lestrange, you fired her arm. A little extreme, but it works, Potter. Still thinking of being an Auror?"

Harry shook himself, "Yea, I'm definitely thinking that. I can't believe this, a wedding today, a funeral tomorrow."

"This is war kid, that's how it goes," said Moody, and limped away.

The next day everyone gathered at the edge of the woods from where the attackers had come from the night before. They were all dressed in their best black robes and were restrained, the ones with red hair, the Weasleys, were crying. They were there to say goodbye to a family member, where only the day before, they had welcomed one in. They buried Charlie in front of a large tree at the edge of the woods. The priest did the rights, and everyone said a little something. Mr. Weasley took out his wand to carve a simple inscription in the bark of the tree.

Charlie Weasley

Loving Son and Brother

We Will Miss You

Born: 12-12-1972

Died: 6-26-1997

Fleur's family said their condolences and their goodbyes and left the family to their grieving. Harry nudged Hermione and pulled her away.

"Oh, this is absolutely horrible Harry." Hermione's cheeks were tearstained. "Ron's crushed." Harry lifted his eyebrows, "Well, so is the rest of the family." Hermione covered, looking away.

"Hermione, why don't you two just get on with it?" Harry asked.

"What? What do you mean?" Hermione laughed.

Harry gave her a look, "You know what I mean."

"Harry, I don't know what in the world you are talking about," she said pointedly.

Harry shook his head. "Ok, whatever. But this, this is bad. How did they find out about the wedding? The only people who knew were the Order and close family."

"I don't know, there can't be another spy," Hermione paused, "Can there?"

"Well, since everyone so trusted Snape, I don't know. For all we know, there could be."

The Weasley children started breaking up. Harry and Hermione saw Ron break out and walk into the house. The two exchanged looks and Hermione went after him. Harry saw Ginny pull out and walk towards the house. He fought with himself for a moment then decided she would come to him if she wanted. He walked into the house and saw her hair whip around up the stairs. He looked into the refrigerator and pulled out some ham biscuits.

_Comfort food. Maybe Ron will take this and feel a little better,_ he thought. He started up the stairs. When he went by Ginny's room, the door was cracked and he heard sobs. He went against his former resolve and knocked on the doorframe and stuck his head in.

"Ginny?" Called Harry. "Could I come in? I bring food."

She didn't answer. He took this as a 'do whatever you want' and walked in.

"Are you ok?" She looked up from her bed, her face tear streaked and her hair in knots.

"Wha-what do you-you think?" She sobbed. He walked over to the bed and sat down beside her.

"Ok, bad question." Ginny swung her legs over the edge of the bed and pulled herself into a sitting position.

"Wha-what did you br-bring?" She sniffed. "Ham?"

Harry grinned and nodded. "Yea." she took one and took a couple of bites.

"Harry, I miss him already. Why did they have to come and ruin the wedding, and our family?" she dropped the biscuit and looked at Harry, silent tears falling.

Harry put his arm around her. "I don't know Ginny, I don't know." She put her head on his shoulder and started sobbing again. He wrapped her in his arms and comforted her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

**The Letter**

Harry stayed with her until she cried herself to sleep, then he left quietly to talk to Ron and Hermione. He barged into the room, not thinking to knock. They were napping on the bed, no one had had a good night's sleep the last few days. When he came in, the door slammed into the wall and Ron and Hermione jerked awake.

"I'm going to Godric's Hollow," declared Harry.

Hermione looked at him, uncomprehendingly, "What? Where did you get this idea?"

"This, Charlie, Ginny being hurt, the rest of them being hurt, attacks happening every day. It's Voldemort. I have to stop him."

"Harry," Hermione stood up and walked over to him. "Calm down." Harry realized he was breathing hard, gasping for air, he tried to calm himself. "You can't rush into something like this."

He took a deep breath. "Ok, in order to kill him, we have to get rid of the horcruxes. We need to find out where the others are. Godric's Hollow is where his first defeat took place, it is a place of importance to him, and to me. It makes since that there would be one there."

"What about the box?" Ron spoke for the first time, "What if Dumbledore figured something out, or was close to figuring something our and put it in the letter?"

"Yea, I should look at it, but you guys have to leave me alone, I'll show it to you when I get done."

"No."

"What?"

"No." Repeated Hermione defiantly. "We are with you, no matter what. Dumbledore trusts us almost as much as he trusted you. He let you tell us about the lessons, why not this?"

Harry looked skeptical. "I don't know."

"Listen we could have turned back years ago, but we didn't."

"Yea, you can read it first, but we're staying with you, we're not leaving," tipped Ron.

Harry stared at them, arguing with himself. His friends looked at him, pleading with their eyes.

"Ok." He sighed. He went over to his bed and pulled out the oak box engraved with the late Headmasters initials. He sat on his bed and Ron and Hermione came over and they sat in a circle around the box. They looked around at each other one last time, and Harry, taking a deep breath, opened the box.

Inside there was a letter covering no less than 3 sheets of parchment, and 4 bottles of silvery liquid, memories. The inside was lined with purple velvet etched with silver runes. He reached inside and pulled out the letter.

"You read it first Harry." urged Ron.

Harry nodded and read the letter, his face ranging from tentativeness, to sadness, to anger, to a sad joy. When he finished he looked up and handed the parchment to Hermione.

"Read it out loud Hermione." he said quietly, holding back tears of happiness, sadness, and many other emotions not quite definable.

Hermione looked into their eyes, first Ron's then Harry's, took a deep breath and started to read...

_Dear Harry, and possibly Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger,_

_If you are reading this, then I, as Severus and I have thought, have passed on, and Petunia has kept her word. This is to tell you the things I have not the time to pass on to you. I must tell you this, remember the things I taught you in my lessons, remember Voldemort's weaknesses. _

_But I don't want to talk about Voldemort, yet, you need to know about your parents. They were, as you have very often heard, two of the most powerful magic folk of their age. They, no matter if it may seem otherwise in memories, loved each other more than any two people could possibly do. This that I am going to tell you needs to go no further than you and Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger. _

_You certainly know of the Department of Mysteries, as you were there in your fifth year, and have heard of the Unspeakables that work there. Your mother and father were unspeakables. Lily worked on a most secret experiment on an ancient power, the power of love, which is in a locked room. Unless I am much mistaken, you tried and failed to get into this room during your adventure. She had found a way to harness this power to use it against people, to protect mostly, and that protection reflects most spells. The most powerful of which was the Avada Kadavra that she blocked from you, with her love, sadly dieing in the process._

_Your father worked in a duo of rooms that dealt with time and space, the possibility of loopholes in the fabric of time and space. James wanted to find ways to get around Voldemort's plots by jumping through time and space. He had used some of the basic knowledge to save himself and Lily from untimely fates with Voldemort, in one life or death encounter, he had taken hold of Lily and went through the fragile fabric back in time to the order headquarters to warn the members of an attack on the building. He saved many lives that day. He had very nearly completed his work, taught it to some of the Order members, myself being included. Some of the things we can do with this knowledge is to become invisible without any outside help, to travel through space, much like apparation, except that it is quiet and much less uncomfortable, and to travel through time without any materials._

Hermione laid the finished page facedown beside of her and looked up at Harry, she looked as if she had been holding back a question. "Harry, what did he mean when he said 'They, no matter if it may seem otherwise in memories, loved each other more than any two people could possibly do.' What is he talking about?"

Harry knew exactly what he was talking about, but he had never told Ron and Hermione about the memory, though at the time he had hated his father for what he did to Snape, he now wished James had known _Sectumsempra_ maybe then Dumbledore would still be there, talking to him, without the medium of a letter.

"Harry?"

Harry jerked, "Oh," he fought with himself over whether to tell them, he had not in honor of Snape's privacy, but he didn't deserve any of that now, not with what he had done. "Do you remember when I was taking Occlumency lessons with Snape? And suddenly we stopped? I told you that he said I had learned enough and could continue on my own." He asked them. They nodded and he continued.

"Well-that wasn't the case," he stopped, wondering how to put the experience into words. "Snape left me in the classroom alone, he had to tend to one of his students, and left the pensive with his memories in it on his desk. I couldn't resist, I had to look. I went into the pensive and-" he told them the story, "My mother hated my father...and I don't blame her, he was an idiot. I wondered how they ended up together...if my mum had possibly used a love potion," he finished, looking down, not meeting his friends' eyes.

"Aww Harry, I don't think your mum would have done that."

"Your dad nearly took of Sniv-I mean Snape's underpants! In front of the whole 5th year!" Ron laughed. "Aw man, If we could only do that to Mal-"

"Ron!" Hermione snapped. "How could you even think of doi-"

"At least I'm not talking about slapping him." Ron countered, Hermione blushed.

"Yes, but that wasn't in front of everyone..."

She turned to Harry, who was sitting, half-smiling from the exchange between his friends. "Anyway," she continued as if the encounter had not happened. "your father must have grown, I know that you and Ron are much more mature than you were in our 5th year." She glanced at Ron, who was determinedly looking at Pig, turning pink on his ears.

"Well, you got to think, in our 5th year, Harry was all googley eyed at Cho." Ron sniggered.

"At least it wasn't Lavender," remarked Hermione. Ron looked ashamedly at her.

"Or McClaggen," finished Harry, 'can we get on reading? If I remember right, this page has stuff about Snape."

Ron and Hermione broke eye contact and Hermione picked up the next page to continue reading.

_Now, enough about your parents, though there is a tiny bit more information in the bottles, but that is best saved for another time. I know that you do not trust Severus, and after this year, you will have no reason to. You see, what he did, he had to do, I knew about it, he had made the unbreakable vow. It was him or me, his life is much more important than mine._

Ron interrupted, "He knew? He knew that Snape was going to kill him? And he _agreed_ to it?" he looked at Harry disbelievingly.

"Go on Hermione, it's explained, a bit," Harry said, without looking at them.

Hermione paused, looking as though she wanted to say something, but she decided against it and started reading again.

_I can see your face now, and yes, I let it happen for a reason. I have told you and everyone in the Order that I have a good reason to trust Severus. I will now tell you this reason, or as much as I can, I cannot keep it from you any longer, if you do not know, you may wrongly accuse him of something. _

_You may or may not know that Severus was the one who heard the prophecy and transferred the partial message to Lord Voldemort. He did not realize that the Dark Lord would go after Lily and James. He felt extreme remorse when he found that they had died, Lily more so than James, I believe that they had formed a sort of, friendship, during their school years, possibly more, all I know is that they were fond of each other, though they wished that others would not know._

_This, however, was not the reason for him coming to me. He had grown to where he despised the acts of his fellow Death Eaters, to hate the treatment of victims, of the way they themselves were treated. He came to me, telling me of plans, of who where Death Eaters, as many as he knew, for their identities were concealed even from their comrades. He told me that when he joined the ranks, he was in a bitter mood, his only love had disregarded him in favor of another. _

_They promised him gold, power, and revenge on his father. He naturally accepted, not knowing what he was truly getting into. You will ask how do you know he is telling the truth, the answer is I used Ligilimency. He went and killed his own father, it was his, say, initiation. He was also forced to help in the punishment of fellow Death Eaters, it was not a pretty job. _

_Then came the day that his master wished for him to do something he could not bring himself to do, kill his mother, for she had married a muggle. When he did not do this, the Dark Lord punished him, or rather, made one of his 'trusted' friends punish him, Lucius Malfoy. Severus then came to me, hurt, bleeding, he had nearly died that day. He admitted his wrongs, told me his story, and gave the names of many Death Eaters, many of whom are now in Azkaban, Voldemort did not see fit to get them out in the large breakout in your 5th year._

_There is more to this story, things I will not tell you, in respect of Severus' privacy, just know that I trust him._

"That's not a very good reason to trust someone." Hermione stopped reading. "He kills a few people, chickens out, and says he's sorry," she shook her head, "What else could there be? He said that wasn't all of it, why not tell us the whole story?"

"Because he trusts Snape, he thinks that everyone should," said Harry bitterly.

"He doesn't deserve it, 'you may wrongly accuse him of something' wrongly nothing, whether or not Dumbledore agreed to it, if he's so loyal, he shouldn't've turned on his mentor like that," Ron said.

They were quiet for a moment, Harry and Ron fuming, Hermione had a confused look, she couldn't rationalize this particular problem, and she couldn't just go to the library for this one. She rifled through the pages as if they would tell her something. She stopped where she had quit reading. Looking around to see if Ron and Harry were ready, she continued:

_Now, on to Lord Voldemort_

They were interrupted by a knock on the door, "Hold on a moment!" shouted Ron, glancing at Harry. They pushed everything into the box, carefully folding the letter and being careful not to break the bottles of memory. The door opened just as Harry was putting the box under the bed.

Ginny walked in, "Mum says," she stopped and looked around at them, "What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously, eyes narrowed.

"Nothing," said Harry, not meeting her eyes.

"I don't believe you."

"We were just talking, nothing really," assured Hermione. "About Godric's Hollow."

She looked at Ron "What about it? Are you going?"

"Uh," Ron looked helplessly at Harry, who shrugged. "Well, we don't know."

"You do know that if you three go, then I'm coming along, like it or not," she folded her arms in a very Mrs. Weasleyish way.

Harry's eyes widened, "No, you are not going. It will be too dangerous, this is the type of thing I wanted you protected from."

She walked closer to where he was standing. "Whether I'm here or there, I'm in the same amount of danger."

"But-"

"I'll go whatever," she looked him in the eyes, he looked back helplessly. He knew she would come, as well as Ron and Hermione. He could not control them. As much as he wanted to keep them safe, he knew he couldn't protect them forever.

"Ok," he agreed, defeated. "We actually started off talking about Godric's Hollow. Now I guess it's final, we're going."

They decided they would leave their school things at the Burrow and come back before school, that is, if Harry decided he was going back. They got a bag apiece, after they had convinced Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to let them go (which was hard, considering they had just lost a son), to put clothes and food in, and, in Harry's case, the invisibility cloak and the oak box. They were ready in less then two hours, they were leaving the next morning.

When they woke up they forced Mrs. Weasley to break her death-grip hug. They took their bags and turned down the lawn, towards the future.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

**The First Leg of the Final Journey**

"So, what are the plans?" Ron asked Harry, looking at him over the table and taking a sip of butterbeer. They had gotten as far as London and stopped in the Leaky Cauldron to figure final plans.

"I'm not sure. We need to get to Godric's Hollow, but I'm not even exactly sure where that is."

Hermione sat up, taking a leadership position. "Well, we need to find the route, possibly we could use the Floo system, if there is a wizarding place nearby," she laid out. "Or, we could Apparate." Harry thought of this.

"Do we need anything, any supplies, we could need some potion things," he had made Hermione take her Advanced Potions Making book, just in case.

They came to the agreement that they would go around Diagon Alley, go to Gringots, to stock up on money and supplies, and room at the Leaky Cauldron for a day or so to get their bearings.

Hermione barged into the boys' room without knocking, "I've-" she started.

"What are you thinking? What if we'd been indecent!" Interrupted Ron.

She raised her eyebrows and continued, ignoring his outburst. "Found something about Godric's Hollow. About its location. It's about 25 miles southeast of here, not that far really."

Ginny ran in. "Oh, there you are Hermione, I've got the ingredients you wanted."

"Thank you, I would have gotten them, but I had to do some research." Hermione thanked her.

"Ok, so, how do you think we should get there?"

"Well, we could take the Knightbus, or apparition. Or possibly the Floo network." she gave.

"I think we should take the Knightbus. It would be less conspicuous," offered Ginny.

Harry looked over at her and nodded. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea," he looked over at Ron. "What do you think?"

"Hm? Oh, yea, that's fine with me."

"Ok then. We have a plan. Leave tonight?"

Ron, Hermione, and Ginny nodded their consent and went to gather their things. They met in the main room of the bar and went outside. Ginny hailed the Knightbus and the next thing they knew, they were being thrown against the windows of the speeding purple bus. Stan still was not back and the new kid that had taken his place forgot to charge them when he saw Harry. Hermione snapped him back into reality and shoved a gleaming gold Galleon into his palm.

"G-godric's h-hollow," he called a few minutes later as the bus screeched to a halt. The four of them jumped down from the step and the stuttering boy handed down their bags.

"So, uh...which way do we go?" Asked Ron.

"I have a way," she pulled out her wand and laid it in the palm of her hand and said

"Show me the way." he wand sped around and locked on a certain point. "I took that

'point me' spell you used in the maze in the Triwizard tournament and messed with it a

bit."

They followed the direction of the wand, which stayed pointed at the same spot. They finally came to a dirt road leading between two trees with the wand pointing right down the path. The four of them exchanged glances and started down the road. en they came up on what should have been the house, all they found was rubble.

"It looks as though no one's been here since..well, said Ron, looking around at the bits of wood and glass. Harry didn't answer, too many thoughts were going through his head.

_This is my house. My parents' house. The last place they were alive, the last place we were all completely together. _ He reached down and picked up a piece of glass. _What could this have been? The kitchen window? The window into my or my parents' bedroom?_ he wondered.

He was knocked out of his musings by Hermione answering Ron.

"Well, they had the secret keeper, so no one would know this place was here ito/i come."

Harry felt a hand on his shoulder. "You ok mate?" He looked up to see Ron standing behind him. He paused for a moment, thinking.

"Yeah, I think so," he said, haltingly. He looked around.

"Should we go in then?" Asked Ron. Looking towards the rubble.

Harry took a deep breath. "Yeah. Let's go." He said, taking out his wand. Hermione, Ginny, and Ron followed suit and they moved towards the house.

They were careful moving through the boards and glass, taking care to make as little noise as possible, though they didn't know why, as there was no one else around. As they walked, they found things that gave the rooms they were in away, a sink here, a table there, and, over in the far corner, a shower head. Harry looked around in a daze. He was in what appeared to be the sitting room. There were the remnants of overstuffed chairs and tables. A bookshelf had fallen backwards, he walked over to it and nudged a piece of wood away with his toe.

The sunlight hit on something silver. He reached down to pick it up, moving ashes and splinters away. A red leather bound book with silver clasps came into view. He brushed away some more dirt and picked it up, the name Lily Evans-Potter was etched into the front with green lines. He dropped it as he heard a scream.

He dropped the book and spun around, Ron had Hermione under the arms and she was up to her chest in rubble. Harry ran over to them, he saw Ginny coming from the other side of the site.

"What happened?" He asked them, helping Ron get her up.

"We were walking along," panted Ron, "and she just fell. If I hadn't have caught her, she would have hit her head." Ginny sat beside Hermione at the edge of where she had fallen.

Hermione ran her hand along the rubble and looked into the pit, "They're stairs.." she said. Harry looked and sure enough, as the dust settled and sunlight filtered in, a set of stairs came into view.

"You must've had a basement mate," remarked Ron, looking down into the darkness.

"D'you think it's safe?" He asked them.

"I don't know, the rest of the house is totaled." Hermione said from the ground, she had lit her wand and was looking down the stairs.

"We won't know till we look." Harry took a step, but Ginny grabbed his shirtsleeve.

"You need to be careful, it could collapse any moment."

"Hermione, if it was going to collapse, it's had 16 years to do it." He jerked his sleeve from her grasp and started down the stairs, murmuring _lumos_. He looked up at them, "You guys don't have to come if you don't want to, all right? I'll be fine." He turned and continued down, his head was even with the ground now.

He heard a scrabble and saw the top of Ginny's head out of the corner of his eye. He held back a smile as a second light appeared beside him. A small cloud of dust went up as Ron slipped down the first couple of steps. Up top, Harry and Ginny's heads were completely gone and Ron's was nearly, Hermione paused for just a moment more and went down the stairs, lighting her wand, "Wait for me!" she called after them.

Once the four were gone a figure in the forest turned and sent a message by mark to one of their comrades. The figure waited a few minutes and went over to the book Harry had picked up and took it in their hands. It could go after the kids later.

Harry nearly fell flat on his face as he reached the apparent end of the stairs and stepped where there should have been a plank of wood, but there was only black air. He flung out his arms, nearly clothes lining Ginny and Hermione as he tried to steady himself. He felt hands grip the back of his shirt as Ron grabbed him to pull him back.

"Hold on a moment," said Ginny. "That's what you get for rushing into things Harry." she continued, pointing her wand-light down to where he had nearly fell. "There's a stair or two missing. It's about a meter deep drop." She observed, and, before anyone could hold her back, she jumped lightly down to the basement floor. "C'mon, you chickens, lets go," came her voice as she walked further in.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione shared glances, Hermione's clearly saying to Ron 'I'm glad she's your sister and not mine.' Harry couldn't contain the smile this time and it broke out, broad and shining, across his face as he jumped down and followed the dust Ginny had knocked up.

Looking around, they saw that the Potters must have used their basement as a storage room, or rooms, Harry could see a few doors leading off from the main entrance. They broke up and searched the room, Ron looking at paintings in magnificent frames, Ginny poking around in the rubble on the floor, and Hermione finding a bookshelf, which of course, drew her to it like a magnet.

Harry was running his hand along a fine couch when he heard a shriek, which turned out to be laughter, followed by Hermione saying "Ginny! Ron! You have _got _to see this!" Harry, Ginny, and Ron ran over to where Hermione was sitting on a high-backed chair with an open book on her knees. The three of them added their light to the pages and saw pictures, pictures of a small boy, with captions under them such as:

_Harry's first Christmas_

_Harry's first day home_

_Sirius holding Harry_

_Harry's first bath _(thankfully Lily was a good mother and let him take bubble-baths)

and, last but not least, a picture that Harry would have given anything to take away,

_Harry's first professional photographs_

Underneath this title were four pictures, two of which were everyone's worst nightmare, semi-naked baby pictures. One had a small plastic tub, filled with bubble-bath and holding a drooling, grinning Harry gripping a rubber duckie in his small hand. Another pictured Lily in a bath robe holding baby Harry and rubbing noses with him, her eyes full of love. One picture had Harry in a blue nightie being held by Sirius, and the last looked like a now and then picture, James, whom Harry resembled more than anyone thought could realize, holding the young Harry. Ginny reached out and grabbed the picture of the rubber tub and squealed with laughter.

"Harry! You were so cute!" She squealed.

"Yes...Harry," gasped Hermione, "What...happened?" She burst with laughter, and so did Ron. Harry glared at him. Blushing furiously. _So much for best friend support _he thought.

"Give me that!" He sniped, attempting to grab the picture from Ginny.

"I don't think so," said Ginny, laughing. "I'm going to keep this, maybe make some copies, give one to mum to keep."

Harry's eyes grew to an unbelievable size, "No! No, I don't think so Ginny." He said, pulling gently on the picture.

"Oh, but it's such a lovely picture!" Said Hermione.

"Go on Ginny, pull, it's not going to rip, his mum probably put those anti-ripping spells on them just like mum does," said Ron, "And, sis, when you make those copies, be sure to give me one, alright?" On the last part he burst out laughing once more.

Ginny and Harry continued their fight, both tugging, Harry finally pulled a little too hard while Ginny was having another giggle fit and he lost his balance, falling backwards, grabbing the first thing he could reach; Ginny. She switched from a laugh to a yell as she fell forwards onto Harry, knocking his glasses askew. He looked down at her, her cheeks had a flush starting up he could only barely see in the dim light.

Hermione let out a nervous laugh, but it was cut short by the sound of scrabbling right above them. Everyone stayed stock-still, listening. Ron slowly reached down and gave Harry his glasses and he and Ginny helped themselves up, quietly as possible.

"What do we do?" Whispered Harry.

"Cut off the wands, I'll leave mine on, we have to be able to see." Hermione answered him so quietly he wasn't sure he had heard. There was a whisper of three quiet voices saying _nox _to where they couldn't be heard.

When Hermione's wand was the only light in the room, save the spare bit of light coming in from the staircase, she whispered, "Come on, this way," they saw her motion to one of the doors. They followed her and she eased the door open, they all tiptoed in and left the door open a few centimeters, so that one of them could see what was going on. Hermione stood at the door, looking out with one eye, hiding her wand-light.

"Just turn it off, I'll light mine," whispered Harry. Hermione obliged wordlessly, not looking away from the door. Ron had joined her, putting his hand on her shoulder, absent-mindedly rubbing it, and looking through the crack in the door over her bushy hair. Harry went to the back of the room and found another door, he glanced around, Ginny was crouched at the wall, gripping her wand tightly, and the other two were still at the door. He turned back to his new discovery and reached for the handle.

Up top, the hooded figure fell, "Ouch! darn glass." It muttered, picking a shard of glass out of its hand. Figuring it had waited long enough, the figure started towards the staircase and the children the Dark Lord hated so.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

**The Hidden Room**

Harry turned the knob, and, suddenly, light flooded in, white and glaring. He shut it quickly.

"What was that?" whispered Ron, looking around at Harry.

"There's a door right here," he answered.

Ginny came up, "I don't see a door Harry," she said, running her hand along the wall, "This wall's smooth, no cracks, no change in texture, nothing."

"But, I saw it, I opened it, right there." He put his hand on the handle, "This is the doorknob."

"Someone's coming!" whispered Hermione, shutting the door and following Ron towards Harry and Ginny.

"C'mon, we'll go through this door."

"What do-" Hermione started, but cut off as Harry opened the door and the room was full of white light.

"Hurry, get in," he ushered them in and shut the door behind them. He looked around, muttering _nox _under his breath. They were in a large room, the walls were a light blue color and a white light was there, though he saw no source.

"What is this mate?" asked Ron, staring around the room.

"I dunno, some kind of, lab maybe?" Harry answered, walking across the room. When he got about halfway, the floor began to shake, and they all lost their balance, falling to the moving floor. Harry backed away as the floor began to break apart, splitting to form a crack in the floor so deep, none of them could see the bottom.

"Bloody hell," said Ron from behind Harry, coming up and lighting his wand, looking down into the crevice. "That goes on for ages." Ginny and Hermione added their lights, for the strange white light didn't penetrate the darkness of the crevice. Harry came up last, finally adding his light to the darkness, and, no sooner than the magic hit the crevice, then something began to happen. The bottom began to rise, large columns were rising, each with runes on the top, incantations carved into the stone.

"What do we do?" asked Harry.

"I suppose we have to cross it," said Hermione, peering out over the stones.

"What? How? We'll fall off."

"Here, I'll go first." Hermione took a step towards the stone circles.

"No, let me." Ron pushed past her and stepped onto the first stone, which promptly started to sink and crumble. He jumped back, Hermione helping him regain his balance.

"OK, bad idea," Harry said, "Let me try." Ginny grabbed his arm, "Hey, it's my house, it should let me of all people across." He pulled away and stepped on the regenerated stone, testing its strength. When it didn't give way, he put all his weight upon it and went to step on the next stone. He went five stones out with no problem.

"See, I'm fine," he said, turning back to his friends. Then he spun around to go on, and started to loose his balance.

"Harry!" Ginny ran out across the stones to him, grabbing him before he fell.

"Ginny, how?" Harry asked as Ron shouted for her to come back. She shrugged and they continued across, without spinning this time.

There were about twenty stones in all, every one of them inscribed, every one of them swayed when they stepped off of it. They got to the other side and looked back at Ron and Hermione.

"We're going on guys! Watch for us!" shouted Harry back at them. They looked as though they were going to protest but Harry turned and didn't hear what they meant to reach his ears.

"Harry, what if this is some sort of-I dunno, something people aren't meant to find?" Ginny asked when they started walking.

"I was able to find it."

"Yes, but no one else could see the door..."

"It's ok Ginny." Harry assured as they continued on. The room came to a path, no door, that led from the bright room into darkness.

They exchanged glances and lit their wands before continuing, the walls closed in on them when they walked in, they barely had the room to walk shoulder to shoulder. A few minutes into the hall, the wandlight fell on something in front of them, like a sparkling fog. Harry and Ginny stopped, not wanting to go through it.

"The one time you need Hermione-" started Harry, but Ginny interrupted him.

"I've seen this before." She said, "In a book from home. Dad has a bookshelf of old books the Ministry didn't want or need anymore. I sneak them into my room and read them."

"Ok then, what is it?" Harry asked, peering into the fog.

She furrowed her brows, "I'm thinking...I remember the picture very well, there was a caption below it..." she closed her eyes to concentrate on thinking. "It's..." she snapped her fingers. "I've got it! It's _Falantrope Tyranus _but, the Ministry has all of that in their possession."

"Well, what does it do?"

"It bars passage, only allowing those with the correct, element, to enter. It used to be used in Gringotts and the Pyramids at Giza, but the government cleared it all out. You have to have permission to enter."

"What if you don't have permission?"

"Well, whoever puts it out figures that. I think we should go back." She started to turn.

"Hold on, I got in the door, we both were able to go on the stones. I think we could get through." Ginny looked doubtful. "C'mon, hold my wrist, I'll step in, if anything happens, pull me back out, ok?"

Ginny knew better than to protest so she just nodded and grabbed Harry's hand. He took a step into the sparkling mist. And felt nothing other than a lightness, as though a burden was being lifted away. He pulled on Ginny's hand, leading her in. Looking at her face, Harry could tell she was feeling the same thing he had upon entering. She smiled at him and they went a little further in, nothing else happened so they quickly went through the rest of the fog.

"Well, that wasn't so-" But Harry didn't hear what Ginny was saying, he was very weak, as though he hadn't slept in weeks, he fell to his knees and his wandlight went out. There was a soft thump and he knew the same was happening to Ginny.

"Harry, what-" She fell completely to the floor before she could finish her question. Harry pulled up his head, seeing a faint light further on down the tunnel. He tried to relight his wand, but it just sputtered yellow sparks.

"Ginny," he whispered, "C'mon, we," he faltered. "We got to get out of here." He forced himself up to his feet, using the wall for leverage and bent down for Ginny. If he could just get her to the end of the hall, they would both be fine. He pulled her up and she helped all she could, she was weaker than he was. They leaned on each other and stumbled down the hall. Reaching the end of it, they collapsed on each other, falling into a fretful sleep, full of dark dreams.

A while later, Harry opened his eyes and sat up slowly, holding an aching head. He looked around, thinking something was wrong. He sat for a moment, trying to figure out what it was, when he realized Ginny was no longer beside him

He twisted around, "Ginny." he whispered. "Ginny!" A little louder this time.

"She's over here, Potter." A familiar voice said, drenched in a smirk he could not see for the Death Eater mask over the man's face. The man was sitting across from Harry wrapped in dark robes. "I was beginning to wonder if the fog had been too much for you." Ginny was at the man's feet, contained by magical ropes, asleep.

Harry stood up slowly, "What have you done to her?" he demanded softly. "I swear, if you've hurt-" his voice rose and he became light headed and fell against the wall. "If you've hurt her, I will kill you," he snarled.

"You have not the power nor the heart for that, boy." The Death Eater stood up and held out his wand, waving it around the room which exploded into bright light from the small glow it had been before. "She is alive, better off than you are, actually. No harm will come to her."

Harry pushed himself from the wall and held out his wand, trying to place the voice, he had heard it somewhere before, but he could not place it. "Why don't you take off that mask and fight face-to-face?" he challenged.

"Oh, but we will not be dueling long enough for it to matter, my dear Harry," he said in a calm, cool voice as he raised his wand "_Crucio_!"

"_Conjunctivitis_!" Harry shouted at the same time. He doubled over in pain which was short-lived as his opponent yelled and lost concentration. Harry looked up at him to see him holding eyelids stuck together under the mask and gasping in pain.

The man aimed his wand at his eyes and gasped the counter curse and looked up at Harry, who had slid around closer to Ginny. Harry was suddenly upside down and looking down at the floor, the Death Eater had used _levicorpus _on him. An image of a tower and a pleading old man burned Harry's eyes and he yelled the first thing to come to his mind "_Sectumsempra_!"

The Death Eater was jerked up in the air and spun before falling to the floor, his mask skidding across the floor. Harry thought _Leboracorpus _and he went crashing to the floor. He crawled over to the man to see who it was, when he saw the face and the large pale eyes he was filled with confusion, before he could do anything the man lifted his wand, muttered a curse at him, and fell back in a pool of his own blood. Harry saw a figure leaning over Ginny and the colors of the room blurred together...

Harry sat straight up. "Ginny!" he gasped, holding his wand out.

Ginny screamed and sat straight up, "Don't! Stop-" she looked around, "Harry?"

"Where is he? Where's Olivander?" he asked frantically, jumping up, "He was right over there, I used _Sectumsempra _and you were over...there..." he weakly waved his hand to where she had been tied up. "It wasn't real, it didn't happen..."

"Harry? What's going on? You're talking about Olivander, but I could have swore I was just fighting...and then...Percy..." she looked into Harry's eyes. "What's going on, I'm scared..."

"I don't know, let's go back to Ron and Hermione." He helped Ginny up and they stood a moment, gripping each other to get balance.

"Harry, let's get out of here."

"Yeah..." they started walking slowly back through the hall, both looking back to be sure the visions weren't following. Their walking quickened, then turned into a jog. By the time they were at the fog, they were running. They ran through the fog, not thinking about the consequences, but, since it had allowed them through previously, it did nothing but grant them strength.

They burst out of the hall into the large pale blue room, doubling over and panting, but full of energy granted them by the fog. Harry and Ginny stood straight and exchanged glances before walking back across the stones to Ron and Hermione.

"Sorry we took so long," grinned Harry.

"What d'you mean mate?" asked Ron, "You've only been gone for about ten minutes."

"Harry, you've got blood on your robes. What happened?" Hermione pointed to his robe.

Harry looked down, "Hmm, I guess I do. Must be Olivander's " he said brightly, "It'll come out in the wash."

"Harry what's gotten into-"

"Ginny, what's that in your hand?" interrupted Ron.

"What?" Ginny looked down at her hand which was clutched into a fist. She opened it and a silver broach in the shape of an eagle sat in her palm. "Hm, I suppose I saw it on the floor after we ran through the fog and fainted."

"What fog? Tell us what happened!" Ron demanded, a confused look on both his and Hermione's faces.

"Oh, we will, when we get back to the Burrow. C'mon, let's go." Harry said as he started walking towards the door.

"What about that person that followed us?" Hermione had her wand out and looked tense.

"Oh, it'll be alright Hermione." Ginny assured, following Harry and putting the broach in her pocket. "Hurry up you two, or we'll leave you." she said, looking back at Ron and Hermione.

They exchanged glances and went after Ginny and Harry.

Harry edged the door open and burst into the room, Ginny following soon after. Hermione and Ron lit their wands and followed cautiously and the door slammed shut behind them, they could no longer see it. Harry walked out the door confidently and waved his friends out.

"Hold on a minute," said Ginny and she ran over to grab the photo album they had looked through before. "OK, let's go."

There was no one in the room, that they could see anyway. The figure pulled down his hood and a curtain of greasy black hair fell around his face. He had just finished looking through that album as the quartet had came out the door. They all looked fine, they must not have found anything, they couldn't have, they weren't gone long enough, and now they were headed to the Burrow probably. He took the book and apparated out of the Potter's basement to report to his master.

There was a slight pop and Hermione jerked around, "What was that?"

"A board probably. We should go before this place collapses," Harry said, jumping up to the second step as the first was missing and going up the stairs. Hermione gave the basement one last glance and followed Ginny and Ron up the stairs. Harry glanced around the rubble, feeling as if he had left something. Not finding anything, he glanced back at the group.

"Well, let's go back to the Burrow." He held up his wand arm and a purple bus skidded to a stop in front of them.

"W-welcome t-to the Knight B-bus," the boy stuttered as they all four climbed in.

"The Burrow." said Ron.

"Ad-address?" he asked, Ron told him and went to sit with the rest of the group.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

**The Test**

The next few weeks passed uneventfully. Over the weeks, Hermione and Ron worked hard to get out of Harry and Ginny what exactly had happened in the room, but they always found an excuse to leave, something they had to do. Ginny took to wearing the broach whenever she could, pinning it to whatever clothes or robes she was wearing at the moment.

Before anyone knew it, a month had passed and Harry was being shook awake by someone. He opened his eyes and looked around, he gasped and sat straight up. The room was packed with people. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were there, along with Tonks and Lupin.

Harry felt around on his bedside table for his glasses as he looked around the room.

"Happy Birthday!" They all said together. Ginny came over to him and grabbed his hands.

"C'mon downstairs, we're having a party!" She pulled him up.

He pulled the blanket with him, "Wait! I'm not-"

Tonks waved her wand and regular clothes appeared on Harry, "Now you are."

Ron and Hermione came forward and helped Ginny pull Harry out the door and down the stairs. The table in the kitchen was full of food and there were two cakes on the counter. They all sat down and began to eat. Harry looked up at the people around the table. To his right was Ron and then Hermione, a little closer than they had to be. To his left was Ginny, who grinned when he looked at her, and then Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, who would share secretive glances every now and again.

Across from him was Lupin and Tonks, who had had a day off so they could come and wish him a happy birthday, they would look at each other and smile, Harry grinned, they were perfect together. Looking around the table, he couldn't believe he was in the middle of a war, everything was perfect.

"Harry, now that your of age, I can take you to the Ministry to take your Apparition test," aid Mr. Weasley when they were finished eating and were passing out the cake. "I believe Ron is ready to take his test as well, so you can come too." He looked at Ron and he nodded slightly.

"Sure, when can we-" Harry started, but was interrupted by Mrs. Weasley who started everyone in on singing Happy Birthday.

_Happy Birthday to you,_

_Happy Birthday to you,_

_Happy Birthday dear Harry, _

"And he smells like one toooooo!" Finished a duet of voices from the door. Harry turned and saw Fred and George walk in.

"Yes! Just in time for the cake!" said George.

Fred threw a package at Harry. "We got you a little something,"

"Be careful, it might bite," warned George.

Harry started opening the gift but was stopped by Mrs. Weasley. "Not yet! We will later, in the living room." He stopped and the twins sat down. A piece of cake was sat down in front of them and they all dug in.

After a chorus of yum's and mmmm's, they all marched into the living room to give Harry his presents. He was beginning to agree with Ron in thinking he should come of age every year. He started with Fred and George's, as it was already half open, and finished tearing off the paper. A dust fell on his hands and they disappeared, "What?" a card fell out, _Our brand new products, you get the first ones off the manufacturing belt. _There was a box and Harry opened it, feeling strange not seeing his hands, and saw four things.

He pulled out a bag that said 'Invisibility Powder' and read the back. _Will wear off in three to four hours._

"Three to four _hours_?" he asked.

Fred grinned. "Yep, mate, you're the handless wonder now."

George motioned to him, "Go on!"

He pulled out a box that was rattling. He opened it and dumped it out.

"Easy!" said Fred and George together. "You don't want to hurt them!"

"Them?" Harry asked, looking down. Their meaning became clear immediately. In the larger box were tiny versions of various magical creatures. There was a hippogriff, a niffler, a thestral, a unicorn, and a phoenix.

"Wow, I can put these with my dragon from fourth year," he said to the twins.

"One of those boxes has feed in it," said Fred.

"Yea, be sure to give it to them every day or they'll 'die'," chipped George.

"Of course, they don't really die, they'll come back in a day or two," assured Fred, after a look from Hermione.

"But it's fun to see how long you can keep them going."

Harry grinned, "Neat!"

He opened a small red box and found small bags labeled things like 'Hippogriff' and 'Unicorn'.

"The feed." Harry said putting it back and grabbing the last thing. "Nothings bit me yet." he noted.

"Be careful with the hippogriff," said George.

"Yea, it can be just as ornery as a real one," warned Fred.

Harry nodded OK and went to the last thing. He picked it up and opened it, finding two glass pieces.

"What are these?" he asked the twins.

"They go over your glasses."

"Put them on with a temporary sticking charm."

"And you can see clearer and farther than anyone around you," finished Fred.

"Cool, that'll be good in quidditch," he looked up at them. "Thanks guys." He closed the box and laid it beside his chair and went to the other presents.

Half an hour later Harry was giving all his gifts a thorough look over. He had gotten a tiny golden snitch from Ron that flew around his head, refills for his broom servicing kit from Hermione, an emerald green cloak from Lupin and Tonks, hair gel from Ginny, "You really need it Harry." she had said, nodding fiercely and grinning. An egg from Hagrid (he was scared as to what was in it...) and last but not least, a leather book from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. "You keep your 7th year memories safe and sound dear." Mrs. Weasley had said, smiling in a motherly way.

Mr. Weasley stood up and stretched. "Well, Harry, Ron, if you two are wanting to go to the Ministry to take the test, we had better get going."

Harry gathered up his gifts and ran up the stairs with Ron.

"Ron, I think that this was my best birthday I've had," Harry said when they got to Ron's room.

"Told you that coming of age year was the best," he said grinning. "C'mon, I'm not missing the test, not failing it this time either. Fred and George haven't let me live the last time down yet."

Harry and Ron ran back down the stairs to find Mr. Weasley standing by the fireplace with a small flowerpot.

"C'mon boys, don't want to be late, a lot of kids are taking their test today, the next dates not for a month," he said, offering the pot.

Harry grabbed a pinch, scowling, this was _not _his favorite form of travel, but at least it was semi-safe. He threw it into the fire, jumped in, and said, "Ministry of Magic Lobby in London." He tucked in his elbows as he began to spin, where he normally would catch glimpses of families playing wizards' card or board games, he caught visions of preparation, teaching underage wizards simple spells to protect them for a last resort.

He was suddenly thrown out of the fireplace, he pushed his arms out in front of him to catch his fall, he succeeded only for a moment then was pushed down by a tall someone with red hair.

"Ouch, Ron! Gerroff!" he said, pushing himself up and elbowing Ron. Mr. Weasley showed up a moment later, landing on his feet with a flourish and a grin for Ron and Harry.

"Showoff," mumbled Ron as he stood and brushed the soot off his jeans and T-shirt.

"Show me yer wands and state yer business and names," said a middle aged wizard in a dark blue robe. Mr. Weasley took his, Ron's, and Harry's wands up to the man.

" 'lo Jimmy. Here's our wands," he said, holding out the wands. "This one's mine, that long one's my son, Ron's, and the other's Harry Potter's." He motioned to them each in turn. "They're here to take the apparition test and I'm accompanying them." Jimmy nodded, checked the wands, stamped three papers, handing one to each of them, and waved his wand over their robes, checking for enchantments and concealment.

"Alright, yer free ta go," he said, waving them thru.

Mr. Weasley led them thru the lobby to the elevator and to the floor which delt with tests of all kinds. He checked them in with the witch at the cubicle marked "Apparition Tests" and sat with them on a bench. After about ten minutes, an uptight looking witch in dark purple robes, black shiny hair in a long braid down her back, and black rectangle glasses came out and beckoned to Ron and Harry.

"You may stay seated," she said as Mr. Weasley began to stand. "Follow me," she said, motioning to Harry and Ron. "We will use a portkey to travel to a secure field," she continued, she had a harsh way of talking. "There one of my colleagues and I will administer the test. You will have to apparate to a spot across the field and back in order to receive your license, the spot will be moved for the both of you." She went through a door into a small room that held a desk and an old wizard which happened to be her colleague.

"He looks like he could fall over dead any moment," Ron said under his breath, leaning into Harry. He stood stark upright as the woman glared at him and continued speaking, pulling something from the desk.

"This is Ronald Zewls and I am Rachel Butner." she waved her wand over an old deflated futbol. "Everyone grab a hold of it," she said. "One...two...three."

Harry felt a pull on his temple and was jerked off his feet, Ron banging into him. Harry's feet hit the ground a moment later and he did not fall, he was proud to note, as Ron did. He heard two more light thumps as Ronald Zewls and Rachel Butner touched ground beside them. Zewls held a clipboard with parchment, a peacock feather quill, and an ink pot, and stood slightly behind the other three.

"This," Butner said as she waved her wand, "is where you will be aiming for." A transparent patch of grass appeared with a red dot in the center. "You will apparate there and back, short and simple. The only obstacles in your way are a few trees, bushes, and rocks. It is an easy test, in these times we have no time for the more complicated ones."

Harry raised his eyebrow at Ron, silently saying he didn't like this woman.

"Harry Potter, since you're first alphabetically, go," she said, conjuring a chair and sitting down to administer the test.

Harry paused for a moment before exchanging glances with Ron and turning towards the field. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the transparency Butner had shown him. He suddenly remembered the last time he had apparated, with Dumbledore, at the cliff by the sea, going into Hogsmeade, to the tower, seeing Malfoy, Snape coming up... He mentally shook himself. 'C'mon Harry, concentrate,' he said to himself. He felt as though he was being pressed from all sides, he was going to explode...then he was fine. Standing on the red dot just like he was supposed to be. He grinned and apparated back to the administrators and Ron.

Zewls scribbled something on his clipboard and Butner waved her hand for Ron to continue. Ron screwed up his face and with a pop was gone. A few moments later he returned, no missing eyebrows this time. After some more scribbling, Zewls and Butner stood up, motioned for Ron and Harry to grab the futbol, and they were back at the Ministry. The test had taken 10, 15 minutes at the most.

"You both have passed, please wait outside with your escort and I will bring you your licenses," she said, sitting down at the desk.

Ron and Harry left the office, walking down the hall to Mr. Weasley.

"I don't like her very much," Harry said as soon as he was out of earshot.

"Me neither, she was uptight, and that old bloke, Zewls, looked like he was going to fall apart." They laughed as they met back up with Ron's dad.

"Well, that was quick," he said as they sat down.

"Of course, it was a piece of cake," Ron said, grinning.

"So, who'd you have? I recognized the woman, but I couldn't place her..."

"Um, Rachel Butner and something Zewls." Harry told him.

Before her could answer, Rachel Butner came up, her sleeves rolled up almost to her elbows. On her left forearm Harry saw what looked like a moving black snakes head, he glanced up at the woman.

When she caught his eye, she glared and pulled down her sleeve. "Here you go." She handed Ron and Harry slivers of metal on which were engraved their names and permission to apparate.

"Cool" Ron said, taking hold of his.

"Don't lose these, if you do, you have to wait for 6 months before you can try again." she said sternly. "If they get revoked, you have to wait for a year and go through the training and safety course again before you can earn it back. Now, unless you have any questions, goodbye." She turned to leave without waiting for a reply.

When they were back in the lobby Harry turned to Mr. Weasley. "Mr. Weasley, she had the Dark Mark."

"Huh? Oh, yes, she's an ex-death eater, she was in the ranks for less than a year though and quickly came back to the Ministry. She was given a full pass," he said as he continued walking to the apparition zone of the lobby. "You boys think you can apparate to the Burrow by yourselves?" he asked, they nodded and he said, "Good, see you there." and with a soft pop, he was gone. Ron left right afterwards but Harry turned back, looking towards the elevator and the ex-death eater, Rachel Butner. He was prodded by a security guard and, after a glare in his direction, apparated to the lawn of the Burrow.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

**Of O.W.Ls, Badges, and the Hogwarts Express**

A couple of weeks later, owls arrived for Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Harry early in the morning while they were at the breakfast table. They each opened their letters and read their contents. Ginny had earned an O in Defense against the Dark Arts and A's or E's in everything else, passing through to the 6th year. There was a yelp as Hermione jumped up and down, holding a badge.

Harry and Ron laughed, "You got Head Girl did you?" asked Harry, looking towards his envelope.

"Ron, where's your badge?" she asked, looking towards him expectantly.

"Right here..." said a voice that was not Ron's. "How? I'm not a Prefect, I can't be Head Boy!" said Harry, looking at Hermione in disbelief.

"Huh?" Hermione reached out to grab the badge from Harry, it was large, shiny, with a lion on it and an H. "Well, generally this doesn't happen, but I believe that's what happened to your father, I mean, Hagrid said he was Head Boy, but Professor Lupin was the Gryffindor Prefect for that year." she looked up to Mrs. Weasley, "Have you ever heard of it happening?"

"Except for James, and now it seems Harry, no," she said, turning to the sink.

"Well, I'm just giving this to Ron, I'm not going back there, I have to find the...I have something I have to do," Harry said, looking to Ron.

"I don't think so!" said Mrs. Weasley. "You are finishing your schooling. No matter _what _you have to do," she said, waving a wet fork in his direction, soap suds falling to the floor.

"But I have to. I can't tell you what it is, I promised Dumbledore, but it's very important," he said, leaning on the table, the badge between his elbows on it.

Another owl flew through the window, dropping a letter in front of Harry and leaving once more. He looked around and picked it up, breaking the seal to read it.

_Harry,_

_I have heard that you are not so keen on coming back to Hogwarts, you must return. You have Head Boy duties to fulfill and more education to receive. In order to be an Auror, you must continue and earn the required number of NEWTs, in order to do anything to help the Order, you need to continue your schooling. I will allow you to take classes at your leisure so that you can leave to do what you feel you need to, but you have to get your full course. Dumbledore would have wanted you to stay Harry, to continue learning and preparing yourself. _

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

"What the-?" he asked as he finished the letter and Hermione and Ron grabbed the letter from his limp fingers.

"Well, I guess that's it, you're coming," said Ron, looking up from the letter.

Harry sighed, "Well, she has the Auror thing right, well...you guys have talked to me about this before." He rubbed his eyes, feeling very tired. "I guess I'm going." Hermione grinned and Ginny and her wrapped him in a hug.

"Good, you made the right choice Harry," said Ginny.

The Monday before school was supposed to begin Mrs. Weasley announced she was taking them to Diagon Alley for supplies. Ron, Harry, and Hermione apparated and waited for Mrs. Weasley and Ginny at Fred and George's shop.

"You liking your presents, Harry?" Fred asked him when he walked in the door.

"Yea, they're great, everything's still alive," Harry answered them, grinning.

They clapped him on the back, "Just look around, you see anything you like, we may just give it to you," George said as he winked.

They left the shop with only a small bag to each of them, yet another new invention that downsized everything and was able to hold large quantities without busting or taking up a lot of room. Making the usual stops, they noticed a few more shops closed than normal, Madam Malkins was closed with dark, boarded up windows, and Ollivander's still showed no sign of life. Flourish and Blotts was the only book store left open, except for a very small shop owned by a wizened old witch that didn't know a wand from a galleon and Gringotts had more guard goblins than ever before.

When Harry was walking in Flourish and Blotts with the others, he ended up away from them in the back of the store. There were shelves of old, dusty tomes with faded leather covers. It reminded him of the restricted section of the library at Hogwarts, seldom visited with dark books. It was very quiet, he was the only one there, well, he thought he was. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a short person with light hair whip around a corner.

"Hey!" Harry called after the man, he pulled out his wand and went around the corner, just in time to see a heel turn another corner. He continued following the man, determined to know why he was running, and, suddenly, he ran into something very solid.

"Harry!" He heard Ginny call as she fell. He had accidentally ran into her, he had followed the stranger to the front part of the store.

"Where is he?" he asked, looking around while helping Ginny up.

"Where is who?"

"I saw...a man...Where did he go?" he asked again, confused.

"Harry you're seeing things, pay for your books and lets go," Ginny said with a laugh, snapping on her eagle broach as she headed toward her mother.

"Ginny wai-" he sighed, grabbed a pre-made box of 7th year Hogwarts students school books, paid, and followed everyone out of the store. After stocking up on potions supplies and owl treats, they all headed back to the Burrow.

The next Sunday it was time to gather all of their belongings and rush to the Hogwarts Express. They all rushed to the platform, those that could apparating, Ginny doing Side-Along with her mother, it was the safest way to travel during these times. Rushing to find a compartment that was empty, they all boarded the train and loaded their trunks. Harry, Ron, and Hermione pulled on their outer robes and went to the Prefects car.

When they arrived, they saw all of the old prefects, minus Draco Malfoy, plus Harry and some small looking 5th years. Harry didn't notice a 7th year Slytherin girl prefect either. The Death Eaters had been doing some recruiting among the newly come-of-age Slytherins. They were all told that they must patrol the corridors about every hour, given a schedule, and sent back to their cars.

The car was much more full than it was when they left. Neville, Luna, and a couple of Ginny's friends had joined, the last of whom left when the others arrived. The ride, for the first time, was uneventful, seeing as there was no Malfoy to come in with a smug look on his face, and they had time to talk and think without worries of being attacked or overheard.

"So, who's gonna be the DADA professor this you do you think?" asked Ron, chewing a pumpkin pasty.

"Well, what all have we had?" asked Harry.

"Half of Voldemort," Ron spat out.

"A lunatic," Harry said with a grimace.

"A werewolf," breathed Luna.

"A Madeye wannabe Death Eater." Hermione spoke up.

"A Toad." Ginny grinned.

"And my Boggart," Neville said with a shy grin.

"So who, or what, is next?" Harry finished, looking around the room.

"Maybe we'll have a Snaggle-nosed Gnimpsh," Luna said with all seriousness. Hermione pursed her lips and rolled her eyes, looking away. She had learned long ago it was useless to argue with Luna.

Little did they know that she was right.

When the first years for the year had been sorted, giving Gryffindor around 15 or 20 new kids to loose house points, and they had all eaten another wonderful feast, Professor McGonagall stood up, clearing her throat for silence. Instead of sitting in the Headmaster, or, in this case, Headmistresses chair, she had Dumbledore's old chair pushed back and she was standing in front of an old mahogany chair that stood in its place. It struck Harry how old and tired she looked.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts," McGonagall said, her eyes glittering as they surveyed the room. "You well know what is off limits to students, The Forbidden Forest and such, so I will not spend time reminding you. I trust the prefects and Head boy and girl will help fill in the first years. I will only strengthen in your minds the necessity that you stay away from the forbidden areas. Now, more than ever, it is important to abide by the rules, to respect the judgment of your elders, and to use your common sense."

She took a rattling breath and let it out in a sigh, as though she was steadying herself for what she was going to say next. She swallowed, "I have a couple of positions to announce the filling of. One," she paused, "is the Headmaster's position. You all know that our beloved Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was taken from us at the end of last school year, a few months ago," another pause, she pursed her lips together, as though fighting to keep her composure. "As you may have guessed, I will be assuming the position, though I can never," she looked over the tops of her glasses at the students, focusing on some, meeting other's eyes. For a moment she held Harry's gaze, before going on.

"Never take his place, I will do my best to run the school as he would have run it. Now, we, once again, have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. I would like to introduce Professor Penala, who will also be filling the position of Head of House of Gryffindor." She waved her arm to a door to her left as it opened. A short man came out of the door wrapped in deep blood red robes. He was tanned and had a nose that was somehow both squashed and with a hook. He smiled pleasantly at Headmistress McGonagall as he walked in, coming up to her and kissing the top of her hand.

She smiled and motioned to a seat. Penala bowed and took his place graciously. "One last thing before you retire to your common rooms tonight. Professor Slughorn has left us, he has some, ah, unfinished business to attend to," she said, furrowing her brow.

"I heard," Neville whispered, leaning into Harry, "That he had gambled a ton of money he didn't have and lost. He's being chased after by some money collectors, my gran told me," he finished, looking back up at McGonagall.

"So we will introduce a new Potions professor. Please welcome Professor Bynes." She clapped as the door opened again and another man came through the door. Harry heard gasps around the room from many girls and, when he glanced around, he saw eyes sparkling. Looking at the man, Harry supposed he was good-looking, if he had been a Gryffindor girl. He was tall and lean with long mahogany colored hair, a goatee and a thin moustache wrapped around his mouth. From where Harry sat he could tell the man had piercing blue eyes that had a gaze that was comforting rather than unsettling.

He swept his dark blue robes out to his sides in a bow to the room and swiveled around to the Headmistress, she nodded and Bynes took the last chair. "My mistake, one last thing, I promise this is the very last. Professor Sinistra will be taking over as Head of House of Slytherin." Sinistra gave a slight nod of her head and McGonagall continued, "Now, go to your common rooms, you dormitories, and your beds. Have a good night's rest as classes start tomorrow."

There was a loud bustle and scraping as people slid their seats back to leave. Harry started towards the doors but Hermione grabbed his arm.

"Oh, no you don't. You have to help Ron and I," she said with a sardonic grin.

"With what?" Harry asked, oblivious.

Ron clapped him on the shoulder. "First years!" He grinned.

Harry groaned, "What?"

"Oh, there you are," a voice said, the three of them turned to see McGonagall talking to them. "Your password is peppermint. Here are your schedules," she said, passing out papers to them.

"Schedules, don't we get these in the morning?" asked Harry, taking a slip of paper.

"Oh, these are not class schedules, these are your Head Boy duties," she said with a small smile. She tucked the stack of papers back into a pocket of her robes. "Well, I will see you all tomorrow in Transfiguration. You're in for a fun year. It's N.E.W.T level this year." With that she turned and left them to find the other prefects.

Harry turned around to see around 15 first years surrounding him, Ron, and Hermione. Apparently, the other prefects from their house had went slack in their jobs and left. Hermione finished calling together any stragglers. Ron and Harry assumed roles at the back of the group as Hermione led the way, pointing out important halls, rooms, tapestries, and anything else she could find. Harry grinned as he saw a young girl staring in awe at a wall which held three portraits in which the occupants were talking to one another, her mouth hanging open.

Leaning down to her, they just kept on getting shorter, he tapped her on the shoulder. The little girl gasped, surprised by the big, tall, seventh year addressing her.

"Hello, amazing isn't it?" he asked kindly.

The girl could do nothing but nod, Ron grinned at her.

Harry smiled. "It's alright. What's your name?"

"Uh, Andrea Adams," she said in a small voice.

"Have you never seen portraits talking to each other?"

Andrea shook her head, curly blonde hair flying. "My mum and dad are muggles," she said.

"I never had before either."

"You hadn't?" she asked, "What's your two's names?" She looked between Harry and Ron.

"I'm Harry Potter," Harry said as they arrived at the portrait hole.

"Ron Weasley," Ron said with a grin, the girl leaned her head back to see Ron's face he was so tall now. "And Mrs. Information up there," he motioned towards Hermione, "Is Hermione Granger." Andrea grinned shyly, said bye, and ran up the stairs Hermione indicated were the way up to the Girls' Dormitories.

"She's cute," said Harry with a grin. He yawned, "Well, I think I'm going on to bed Ron, I'm tired as heck for some reason."

Ron nodded and went to find Hermione as Harry went to the boys' dorms. After sorting the junk out of his trunk and making the section of the room that was his feel more comfortable, Harry changed into his pajamas and crawled into bed, falling asleep almost instantly. He barely heard Ron come up an hour later.

Harry yawned as he stumbled out of the portrait hole with Ron and Hermione the next morning. On the way to the Great Hall and breakfast, Harry realized that being head boy officially was the worst thing ever. They had to stop a first year Slytherin from breaking his foot trying to get through a wall posing as a door, save a small Hufflepuff girl from behind a door posing as a wall, and help a group of Ravenclaws and Gryffindors get off of a moving staircase, all before reaching the doors to the Great Hall.

They came into the Hall right as breakfast was starting to end and McGonagall was beginning to pass out the class schedules. They had Defense Against the Dark Arts first with the Ravenclaws, a free period, lunch, Transfiguration with Hufflepuffs, and Potions with, who else, the Slytherins.

"Oh joy, another year of Potions with the Slytherins. Fun fun," Ron said, glaring down at his schedule while taking a bite of sausage.

"It shouldn't be too bad Ron," said Hermione, spooning eggs onto her plate. "The professor seems...interesting." She hid a glance up to the professor's table where professor Bynes was sitting. Ron saw her glance and took his next bite of sausage rather roughly.

"Ron, now what did that sausage do to you?" Harry asked with a grin, earning a spoon of eggs being thrown at him behind Hermione's back. Harry ducked and continued eating.

"Hello," said a voice that was vaguely familiar, accompanied by a tap on his back. "Mr. Harry sir." Turning, Harry saw the little first year, Andrea.

"Oh, hello. And it's just Harry, Andrea. What is it?" Harry glared at Ron and Hermione, who were giving him quizzical looks, turning into smiles.

She held up her schedule. "Could you tell me where Professor McGonagall's classroom is?" she asked.

Harry stood, slinging his bag over his shoulder, followed by Ron and Hermione. "Yeah, it's on our way. C'mon." He motioned and started walking. They were leaving early, Andrea's classroom was just a little out of the way, but it was just another head boy duty. Walking down the table, Harry spied Ginny sitting with some of her friends, talking, he sighed and walked on.

"There you are," Harry said, reaching the classroom, "Transfiguration."

"Oh, just a tip," Ron said, leaning down, as if to give a horrible secret, "Be sure to sit in the back of the room." He winked, glancing up at Hermione. Andrea waved thanks and walked into the classroom, taking Ron's advice.

"Why did you tell her that?" Hermione asked, frowning.

"Oh, Hermione," Ron said, "Lighten up." He draped his arm over her shoulders playfully, "It's not going to hurt her."

Harry glanced away, rolling his eyes, seeing Hermione blush but not pull away. When they reached Defense Against the Dark Arts, Ron took his arm back and they all three sat down as if nothing had happened. They pulled out their books and other materials as they sat, waiting for the Professor to enter.

For the seventh time in Harry's career at Hogwarts, a brand new Professor walked through the door. He was wearing the same deep red robes as he was the night before as he walked up to the board, writing his name in flowing writing.

"Hello. Am I correct in assuming that all of you are seventh years?" The class nodded, "And I believe I have Ravenclaws and Gryffindors, correct?" his voice was raspy, but strong, and had an underlying feeling of knowledge. He carried himself confidently, shoulders back, head up. He did not take roll, or maybe he did, Harry had the uncomfortable feeling that he knew exactly who was there and who wasn't, why they were there, and everything there was to know about each of them.

"Turn to page two hundred and seventy-nine." Ron, Hermione, and Harry exchanged glances, they were skipping nearly half of the book. They looked down at the book, at the title on the page, and read what Penala wrote on the board.

_Chapter 25, Enchanted Mists_

Harry had been through two of these, one in his fourth year, and one during the summer with Ginny, both had had different effects, and both had been disorienting, though he could not think of anything wrong with the mist he had went through with Ginny, he had only good memories. He pushed the thoughts out of his head as Penala started to speak.

"There are many types of these mists, and you may never have to know about them, but you can never have enough information about the Dark Arts." He didn't stand still as he was speaking, and he didn't read out of the book, it was as if he had swallowed the book whole, memorizing every word, but with the ability to put it into words everyone could understand. Harry wondered if Hermione could possibly have a magic strand in her family.

"These mists are a simple and affective way to protect, harm, help, and penetrate people, places, and things. There was a mist used in the Triwizard tournament which, when stepped into, gives the illusion of everything turning upside-down; called the _Calaprian Aldonaris_, it was discovered by a South African Wizard in the early eighteen hundreds. Well, it was more of created than discovered." He took a breath and Harry jumped, he had not realized Penala had worked his way around the room to where he was standing behind him.

Penala continued around, giving Harry a grin that showed yellowed teeth with a gap between the front two. Receiving a weak grin from Harry, he continued. "Some of these mists are found naturally, in rock crevices, waters at certain temperatures, and in the burned fur of some animals. But most of them are created by mixing elements; parts of plants and animals mixed together along with certain potions and gems, all of it burned and the resulting fumes bottled.

"These fumes are set in a heated room for three days, in which they condense and become a liquid, then you use a simple spell which expands the liquid, tearing it apart and resulting in an enchanted mist. These are not used very often, usually whenever you want a more traditional means of protecting something, you will use a mist, but there are now more advanced and secret ways of protecting things." He turned to the board and started to write. "For your homework, I would like you to read this chapter, choose the mist, out of the ones mentioned, that most interests you and write a foot of parchment on it. It must include whether natural or created, the creator or who found it, what it does, its components, and its color.

"To be turned in on Friday." He turned from the board and Harry began writing the requirements, this may be one essay he didn't leave until Thursday night to do. "I do not accept late work. Any questions feel free to come and ask me." He sat down at his desk and began to write in, Harry assumed, his lesson plan book.

Leaning over to Ron and Hermione, Harry whispered, "This guy's good."

Hermione glanced up at the Professor, he seemed to know that they were talking but didn't seem to mind. "Did you have to go through that mist he was talking about?"

"Did I never tell you?" Harry asked, surprised. Ron shook his head and Harry continued, "Yea, it was weird. The sky was down and my feet were stuck to the ground, which was above me, my glasses felt like they were going to fall off my nose, into the sky. Very strange." A few minutes later class ended and they packed their bags, heading to Gryffindor tower for a free period.

* * *

Yes, yes, I can hear you all complaining now, "Why'd it take you so flippin' long to update." Well, I have a reason, and a darn good one at that. I have finished a 19 chapter book, which is on under the same username, started on the sequel to it, and written a short one shot about a creepy serial killer. So, there sticks out tongue I'm going to start updating this again, with all the hype about the new book and movie, I'm feeling nostalgic, so be looking for new chapters. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

**The Professor**

The Potions master, for he still saw himself as such, bent over the cauldron, stirring it every so often. He reached to his pack and dropped a pinch of marjoram into the bubbling solution, causing a bluish steam to rise.

"Is is nearly done? These potions take much too long to fix." A voice which sent chills up Severus Snape's spine came from the doorway.

He turned and bowed low to hide the scowl on his face behind the curtains of hair he had kept for so long, "My Lord, please do not rush, if you want it to work, it must be done properly."

Lord Voldemort waved his hand lazily, motioning for Snape to stand and continue his potion making. "Yes, yes, I know this, but," he gazed into the cauldron icily, "That is not what I asked, now, is it?"

Severus froze and shook his head, tense. "No, my Lord." He knew what was coming and prepared himself for the blow, but it didn't come.

"Severus, you must stop being so distrustful of me." The Dark Lord said, a cold smile on his voice.

"You taught me long ago, Master, to not trust anyone," a pause, "Not even you," he said, daringly.

Voldemort laid a slender hand on the Death Eater's back. "Yes, a lesson well learned. Now, for my previous question, is the potion ready?"

It took all of the self control Snape had to not recoil at the touch, "Almost, one more thing..." he added a shimmering liquid to the concoction, Unicorn blood, and stirred once more counterclockwise. "Now, it must sit for ten minutes, then it will be ready, my Lord." Snape straightened his back, popping it and gathering his tools.

"Good, good. Young Mr. Malfoy will be pleased, he will certainly want to give this, restorative, draught to his mother himself, he is so eager to please." He walked around the small room, looking at the books, "It is almost unbearable, but that is what comes with accepting a 16-"

"17, sir," Snape interrupted before he could stop himself.

Voldemort stopped in his pacing, looking at his follower, "Yes, 17, year old into the ranks." Snape breathed a soft sigh of relief, that interruption could have been his end, as the Dark Lord continued his pacing.

After a few agonizing minutes in said company, Snape announced, giving the potion one last stir, "It is finished, sir."

Voldemort smiled, a grim sight, cold and uncaring, one that he gave many times, not a reassuring gesture at all, menacing, "Good, now, pour it into a cup and bring it to Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy's room, I will allow you the pleasure, since you so kindly prepared it for me, of giving her the potion." He turned to leave, "Ah, and don't try to get out of this, I will be watching." He walked out the door and Snape sighed once more, officially out of danger.

Suddenly he was wracked with pain, he screamed and it stopped as suddenly as it had started. He lay, panting, on the floor.

"May that be a lesson, you seem to have forgotten my abilities over the years under the sight of that Muggle lover, Albus Dumbledore." Voldemort said over his shoulder. "Now, go and do not mess this up." With that he left, walking down the hall, his thin black robes whispering with each step.

Severus stayed down on the floor until Voldemort's footsteps died away. He stood and scowled, hating the man, no, monster, there was no other word for him, with every fiber of his being. But it was work, and he was alive, something that could not be granted without being this being's servant. Walking over to the cauldron, Snape conjured a goblet and a ladle. His scowl never leaving his face, he filled the goblet, the more potion, the quicker it's effects.

He carried the potion down the hall, slowly, even slower the closer he got to the room. He was filled with dread, knowing what the potion in his hand would do to Narcissa Malfoy upon downing the goblet that her son would soon be giving her. This was a woman who had cared for him during his school days, accepting him when no other would, who had nursed him after his initiation into the ranks of the Death Eaters.

But, doing this would ensure his survival, guaranteeing his place in the ranks. He would gain favor in the hated monster he was forced to call Master. He was being kept out of Azkaban by doing these deeds for the Dark Lord. He rationalized what he was doing, finally reaching the closed door. Snape realized the extent of the thoughts running through his head, and kicked himself mentally. He was not going to become cold, he was going to keep the shred of humanity that kept him hating Voldemort and the killing of innocent people. He may have killed the greatest wizard to have lived, but he, Severus Snape, was not a monster, just a man who had made a few mistakes.

He knocked softly on the door before walking in. "Draco," he called softly.

"Professor!" Draco whispered excitedly, jumping up from his mother's side, who was laying on a brass bed, sick with grief. Voldemort had ordered Lucius Malfoy's death upon hearing of his son's failure to complete his task.

Draco saw the goblet in Snape's hand and pointed, "Is that a potion?"

"Yes, Draco, and do not call me professor, boy." He was sickened by the sight of Narcissa laying on the bed.

"Is it for mum?" he asked, looking into Snape's eyes.

Severus' throat closed up, "Yes," he managed to choke out, miraculously sounding normal.

"Is is going to help her?" Draco's eyes were full of hope, his face trusting the man he had known his whole life.

Snape could not trust himself to talk, but he managed a nod.

Draco practically jumped, looking like a small second or third year rather than the 17 year old young man that he was. "Can I give it to her?" he asked, his eyes not leaving Snape's.

Snape pulled his eyes away from Draco's face and nodded, handing him the goblet. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to speak. "Make sure she drinks it all, Draco, the," his voice nearly broke and he had to clear his throat. "The effects will work faster if she drinks it all quickly."

The young man took the goblet in one hand and walked over to his mother. He sat the potion on the small table beside the bed as he gently shook her. "Mum, wake up, Professor Snape's brought you a potion and he says you need to drink it quickly. Mum."

Her eyes fluttered open, "Severus," she said, smiling weakly, "Hello." She reached her hand up into the air towards him, "You kept your promise," she said quietly, her face looked dead. Severus cringed inwardly, it was the same thing she said to him every time they came into contact.

"This will," she winced, "Help?"

"Yes, Narcissa," Snape said, painfully, "It, it will...help."

"Here mum, drink."

Narcissa turned to her son, who was supporting her back and head with one hand and holding the goblet with the other. He tilted the cup to her lips and she brought up a hand to help him. She drank deeply of the potion and Snape turned his head, clenching his hands behind his back to keep from running over to them, knocking the goblet away, and leaving. He took a shaky breath as the woman finished the drink, Draco putting the goblet back down and gently lowering his mother back onto the bed.

He watched as Draco tenderly pushed a lock of white blonde hair from Narcissa's face. He stopped suddenly, looking at his mother's face. "Mum?" Her chest was no longer rising or falling with breath. "Mum!" Draco was panicking now. He felt her neck and yelled, "Mum! No!" He started to shake her.

Snape was holding back pained tears and was tense with the effort, wanting to leave but knowing that to do so meant punishment. Draco was not doing as well in holding back tears.

He turned to Snape. "You!" He stood, "You did this! To her, _you _killed her!" He was stalking towards the older man, tears streaming down his cheeks, having just lost the last of his family. "You _killed _her!" he yelled, running at Snape.

Snape caught Draco as he ran into him. "Draco, calm down. Draco, look at me!" he said, grabbing the young man's hands, stopping him from pounding his chest any more. Draco looked up with tear filled eyes only to meet equally wet eyes. He collapsed into Snape's arms, sobbing as Snape lowered him to the floor.

Snape looked to the ceiling where he knew Voldemort was watching from his glass in his room. He did not disguise his loathing of the Dark Lord in this moment, letting it flow out of his eyes in waves, out of every pore of his being, not fearing the consequences. In his head he could feel the cold smile of the Dark lord.

In Gryffindor tower, Harry woke with a gasp, his scar once more stinging, Voldemort was very happy.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

**School As Usual?**

The first month or so of school passed uneventfully for the students. Then a rumor started, only a day or so after Harry had awoke to his scar stinging, people were saying that Narcissa Malfoy had been murdered. By Severus Snape. Whispers ran rapid-fire up and down halls, around classrooms, through common rooms. Stories ranged from Snape had accidentally killed her with bad meat to he had brutally beat her to death with a candlestick.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in Potions, a class which had quickly became Ron's least favorite of all due to the fact that Hermione had developed a tendency to watch the handsome new professor. They were making veritiserum which Hermione had already perfected. Harry was a little behind Hermione but doing well, as was Ron, who seemed to be trying to get Hermione's attention, following his book perfectly and getting fairly good results.

When there was about twenty minutes left in class, Andrea, the small first year girl, came into the class nervously. "Sorry, Professor Byne,s for interrupting," she said in a small voice. When Bynes nodded his consent, she continued, "But Headmistress McGonagall asked to see Harry Potter in her office."

Professor Bynes sighed, "Mr. Potter, you may go. We are having an exam next class, so study." With that he waved his hand for Harry to go.

Harry hurriedly packed his things, said good-bye to his friends, and followed Andrea out the door. "Did McGonagall say what she wants?"

"No," Andrea panted, nearly running to keep up with Harry.

Harry looked down at her, "Sorry," he slowed down a little, "Don't you have a class?"

"Yeah, I'm in Transfiguration, I was finished with my work so Headmistress McGonagall sent me to get you."

Instead of trying to find three new professors, McGonagall had kept her old job as Transfiguration professor. With the large number of students whose parents had nod allowed to come to Hogwarts, the job was not so overbearing as it would be with a full school.

Harry nodded. "Ah, I see. You're the new Hermione." He grinned. "First one done?"

"Yep," Andrea said, smiling proudly. They got to the Transfiguration classroom and Andrea walked in, waving good-bye to Harry.

"Mr. Potter, please go to my office and wait," said McGonagall, who was at the door.

"The password is," she paused, "lemon drop." Harry smiled sadly and nodded out of the room, heading towards the gargoyle that guarded the Headmistress' office.

"Lemon drop," Harry said, the gargoyle jumped out of the way, revealing the moving staircase. Harry stepped on and rode to the office, becoming more nervous the higher he got.

Reaching the door, Harry took a deep breath and oh so slowly reached for the doorknob. He took another breath and opened the door. When Harry turned from shutting the door slowly and quietly, he saw that the office was much the same as it had been the last time he was in it. It was quiet, eerily so, except for the slight whirring of the many shining metal objects in their glass cases. It seemed as though McGonagall was afraid to move things, perhaps that it would dishonor Dumbledore's memory to do so.

Harry walked slowly around the room, seeing things he remembered from times past, Godric Gryffindor's sword from his second year, the device that had put forth the smoke that broke into snake forms from his sixth, the cabinet that may still hold the pensieve from his fourth, fifth, and sixth years, the portraits of the past headmasters and headmistresses hanging around the room. Some were sleeping, but one was watching Harry very closely.

"Harry," a wispy voice called from a frame. "I do hope you are enjoying your trip down memory's lane."

Harry turned to see the newest portrait, Dumbledore, looking at him, the look in his eyes both sad and amused. "Professor!"

"Yes, Harry. I woke up sometime over the summer, though it may have been better to stay asleep. It is dreadfully boring being a painting in this school, no one except dear old Phineus here to talk to." He waved his hand towards an empty portrait, Phineas Nigellus was Harry's godfather, Sirius', great-grandfather. There was another portrait of him in Grimmauld place, which he visited often.

Harry blinked, "Professor, can I ask you questions?"

"I believe you just did." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

"I mean about, about our lessons from last year." Dumbledore nodded slightly. "Is there anyone else who knows about the Horcruxes?"

The portrait Dumbledore sighed, "No, Harry, and you do not need to tell any others, Ron and Hermione know, Voldemort knows, I believe the less the better."

"So I can't tell McGonagall?" Harry asked, desperately wanting someone more powerful than he to talk to about them.

"Headmistress or Professor McGonagall, Harry. You cannot, at this time. Perhaps later. Ah, here she is right now." He looked towards the door a moment before it opened, revealing Professor McGonagall. "Hello Minerva."

"Albus." She seemed to avoid looking at his eyes as she sat and motioned to Harry. "Sit."

Harry sat, trying to not stare at Dumbledore's portrait. When he realized this, Dumbledore stood and walked out of his portrait.

"He left," Harry said, somewhat disappointed.

"Yes, he must be visiting some of his various portraits throughout the school. Now," she said, putting her elbows on the large wooden desk and leaning forwards. "I am sure that you have heard rumors around the school about Narcissa Malfoy and, _him_," she screwed up her face.

"Yes, professor," Harry agreed. "Are they true?"

McGonagall pursed her lips. "Their general idea is. We have Lupin's account of what happened. He heard the story from Greyback. As you know, You-Know-Who ordered Lucius Malfoy to be killed after Draco failed in his attempt. Narcissa and Draco were being kept in a house along with, with Snape." Her face seemed tired, more than Harry could ever remember seeing it. "He ordered Snape to fix a poison, Snape then gave the poison to Draco, who in turn gave it to his mother, therefore killing her.

"Some say that Snape was happy to do it, some say that he hated it, that he did it reluctantly. The reports are mixed however."

"Professor, why are you telling me this?" Harry asked, confused.

McGonagall sighed long and slow. "Because Lupin helped Draco escape and he wants to keep him safe."

"What!" Harry nearly shouted. "Help _him_? He is a Death Eater! He was going to kill Dumbledore!" _But_, said a little voice in Harry's head, _he was close to stopping and accepting Dumbledore's offer of safety up in the tower wasn't he?_

"I know Harry, but if there is any chance of redeeming him," McGonagall said, looking over her glasses at Harry, "Harry, it is what Albus would have done."

Harry sighed and stood, pacing the room and running a hand through his hair. "Keep him then, why does it involve me?"

"They want him to be safe, but under supervision."

"They? As in there are more than Lupin that wants to help him?"

"Yes, they see that it is what Albus would have done and want to honor his memory. They want to keep him at Headquarters."

"Grimmauld Place? My house?" McGonagall nodded. Harry ruffled his hair. "I-" He paced around for a few more moments before stopping. With one last sigh he said, "Take him there. But check him for magical bugging devices, curses, anything that may feed them information. Give him veritiserum if you have to. If he screws this up..."

"I know Harry. Now, go back to your common room, I will inform the Order about your decision." Harry nodded and started out of the room, "Harry," McGonagall called out, Harry stopped, hand on the doorknob, "You're doing the right thing."

"I hope so," Harry said as he left, heading back towards Gryffindor Tower.

"Hermione, we've been studying for _hours_," Ron complained.

It was the Saturday after Harry's conversation with McGonagall, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in the Common room late, studying for their potions exam.

"Yes, and you haven't made any progress, unlike Harry, who is now able to make it just as good as I can!"

"Right, then we should take a break, say, three or four days' break, and then we can start back up," Ron said brightly.

"You're not giving up."

"Hermione, maybe we should take a break, just for a few minutes," Harry said and rubbed his eyes. "It's late, maybe we should stop and pick back up tomorrow." He waved his hand around the common room, which was empty save for a few pets.

"But, we have the exam Monday and-"

"Hermione!" Ron said, voice rising, "You know it! Good for you! Why should _we _have to study for hours on end!"

"Because _someone _has to care about your grades. Do you really think that I want to get out of this school and have you still here?" Hermione's voice was starting to rise along with Ron's.

The stress they were all going through in regards to the war and the news of Malfoy was coming out. Harry sat back and rubbed his eyes, they were blowing up at each other more and more the last few weeks and he had learned to just sit back and let it work itself out.

Harry stood and walked over to the fireplace, watching the embers glowing, the fight raging in the background.

"Well, I don't want to stay here any more than you do, Hermione, but I'm happy to get by with barely passing!" Ron said, standing, "I don't have to have perfect grades like you!"

Hermione looked to be holding back a frustrated scream. She sputtered, "_Perfect _grades? Perfect grades! I thought that you were the one wanting to be an auror."

"Well, it looks to me like you and Harry are the ones gonna get that position, I don't stand a chance!" Ron said, "This is your thing, not mine, if you're so worried about my grades, why don't you do my homework for me?"

"What do you think I do? Checking your homework," she scoffed, "I _do _do your homework." Her voice was rising shrilly.

"Only after I've begged and pleaded for an hour!"

"Guys!" Harry said tiredly, "Can we just-"

"Shut up, Harry!" they both said in unison. Harry sighed and laid on a loveseat in front of the fireplace, closing his eyes and beginning to doze. Suddenly he was jerked awake by Hermione yelling at Ron.

"Oh, Ron!" she shouted in a very high-pitched voice, "If I didn't love you so much I would smack you!" Harry looked over the back of the couch to see Hermione storming up the stairs to the girls' dorm, summoning her belongings after her, an ink bottle hitting Ron on the head.

Ron stared after her, seemingly not noticing the glass bottle hitting him rather hard on the back of the head, a very stunned look on his face.

"Ron?" Harry asked.

Ron slowly looked back at Harry, mouthing soundlessly. He shook his head and walked up the stairs to the boys' dorm. Harry sighed, maybe this was what his two friends needed to finally get over what had been obvious for years. Instead of going up to the dorm, he stayed where he was and slept through the night.

The next evening, Harry and Ron were sitting by the lake, Harry studying, Ron staring out over the lake. "Harry," Ron said, the first thing he had said all day.

"Yeah," he answered, not looking up.

"Do you think Hermione meant what she said, you know, last night?" Ron asked, slowly and slightly nervously.

"I dunno, you'll have to ask her that," Harry said, uncomfortable, he was not used to being asked that question. "What do you think?" He looked up but Ron was looking past him, towards the castle. Harry turned and saw Ginny and Hermione walking towards them.

"Hey Harry!" Ginny said, coming up to him and sitting.

Hermione looked at Ron, clearly trying to mask the fact she was uncomfortable by crossing her arms and tapping a foot.

Ron pushed himself up and brushed the dirt off his seat. "Hermione, um…" He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "Could we, er…"

"I believe 'talk' is the word you're looking for, Ron," Ginny said, grinning.

Ron glared at his sister, "Yeah, that."

Hermione nodded silently and they walked off and stood under a tree far enough away to where Harry and Ginny couldn't hear what was being said.

"What I wouldn't give for a pair of extendables right now." Ginny said, grinning at Harry.

Harry laughed and put his books down. "So she told you what happened?"

"Yeah. It looks like there's going to be at least one happy couple in Gryffindor," Ginny said, looking away from Harry.

He sighed, "Ginny," he started, but didn't finish his sentence.

"Listen, Harry, we're all in danger, why can't we just be together an happy?" Ginny asked softly but forcefully, "I mean, it would make it all easier to have someone to relax with, wouldn't it?"

Harry couldn't speak for a moment, but put his hand under Ginny's chin, making her look at him. "Ginny, I would love for that to happen, but…" He shook his head, clearing away his protests. "What am I talking about? You're smarter than me, I know you're right." He leaned over and kissed her forehead, "How about this, if Hermione and Ron come back a couple, then we'll follow their lead." Ginny grinned, knowing the probability was high for that to happen.

"Deal." They both glanced up in time to see Ron and Hermione break apart from each other and start to walk back to them, Ron had his arm around Hermione's waist and Hermione was resting her head on Ron's shoulder.

"I see you two made up," Harry said, grinning.

Hermione blushed, "Well, we can't stay mad in these times now can we?" They both sat down, Hermione leaning against Ron. "So, can I see your book, Harry?"

Ron groaned as Harry laughed, no matter what happened, it looked as though they wouldn't get out of studying.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

**Return to Grimmauld Place**

Before anyone realized it, the Halloween feast was upon them, there were not as many decorations as usual and Peeves hadn't been playing the pranks he normally would have, the worries of the outside world finally penetrating the walls of the castle. Everyone sat at their respective tables, eating with a certain glumness not normally seen at the feast. It always seemed bad things happened on Halloween and, with Voldemort running around, there was no idea that seemed to farfetched as to what could happen.

Harry and Ginny sat across the table from Ron and Hermione, each lost in their own thoughts. Harry's mind was up in his common room in the small box he had yet to open since before Godric's Hollow, focusing on the small bottles of memory. Over the weeks, he had been doing research in the library, staying up for hours flipping through the dusty tomes for any clue to what the Horcruxes could be. He put his left arm around Ginny almost subconsciously, pulling her closer to him.

She smiled up at him, "What's wrong?" she asked when she saw the crease in his forehead.

"Nothing," he said, smiling reassuringly, then, noting the disbelieving look on her face, changed his words, "I was just thinking about the box and the hor-" He stopped, he wasn't supposed to tell anyone but Ron and Hermione about them.

Ginny bit her lip, knowing she wouldn't be able to coax it out of him, and stood, "I'm going to go talk to Luna, alright?" She kissed his cheek and went over to the Ravenclaw table.

"Harry, you have got to be more careful," said Hermione sternly. "You can't just go around telling-" she stopped as Ron lay his hand on her leg.

"He knows, he's just under some pressure." They both knew what Harry was going to have to do in the months ahead.

"I'm going up to the common room, I need to look at those memories," Harry said, standing. He began to turn and was met by Colin Creevy sporting, as always, his camera.

"Harry! McGonagall wants to see you, Ron, and Hermione."

"What?"

"She says to go to her office and she'll be there in a moment."

The three of them exchanged looks and left the Great Hall. "What do you think she wants?" asked Ron, his arm comfortably around Hermione's mid back, it being the lowest he could reach without having to bend over.

"Maybe she thinks it's time for us to fight."

"But she doesn't know about the Horcruxes, does she?" asked Hermione, looking around Ron to Harry on the other side.

"No…maybe it's something to do with the Order."

They walked silently to the Gargoyle and Harry said the password. They rode up the moving staircase and went into the room. Ron and Hermione stood uncomfortably in the middle, having never been in it before, but Harry walked around, looking at the mementos from his past. The sorting hat, up on a shelf, began to move, giving the impression it was watching him.

It seemed to fidget, and fell off the shelf at Harry's feet. He stared at it, remembering the times he had put it on. Picking it up, he glanced back at the others, who had started to walk around, looking at the random objects scattered through the room. Suddenly, he felt the urge to put it on. He sat down on the floor beside the desk and slid it on, feeling stupid.

"Ahhh, back again, I see," it spoke into his mind.

"Yes, why?"

"I wanted you. I believe there has been a change in you."

"Really, what is that?"

"Though you would have done well in Slytherin, you have done better than I could have ever imagined in Gryffindor, and I wish you all the luck in fighting the Dark Lord. Any luck in finding Rowena's brooch?"

"What?"

"Having fun, Mr. Potter?" asked a crisp voice from above him. He jerked the hat off to see McGonagall standing above him.

"Sorry, Headmistress, I…ah…." he trailed off as she took the hat and, after looking at it with a certain air of tenderness, set it back on its shelf.

"It's quite alright. Now, if you would take a seat." She gestured to where Ron and Hermione had already taken seats. Harry walked over and sat beside Hermione. "You three are needed by the Order. We want to send a delegation to Bulgaria to try and gain some support from them."

Ron's face darkened at the mention of Bulgaria, "Why do we have to go?"

"You three have a connection to Viktor Krum and some of the other students of his year. I believe it would be best to send you, they would be more likely to trust you. We hope that, with Mr. Potter's name, Miss Granger's intelligence and persuasiveness, and Mr. Weasley's loyalty-" she stopped looking at how Ron shrunk with his so called gift. "Do not underestimate the power of someone's loyalty. It's the most powerful thing you have, you can't buy it or trade it, it can only be earned. And if someone has another person's true loyalty, that is a great blessing.

"Tomorrow morning you three will apparate to Order headquarters to meet with everyone, you will come back to the school sometime after Christmas though, you all three need to finish out your education."

"Is Malfoy still there?" asked Ron.

"Mr. Malfoy is there, in hiding, he has done nothing but, I have been told, sit around his room, normally in a corner, in a deep depression. He has told us nothing, perhaps one of you can pull him out of it. Be ready tomorrow morning at ten o'clock, pack your things, leave nothing behind. I will see you then." She looked down at the papers on her desk, suddenly seeming very old.

The three of them stood and left quietly. As soon as they were in the halls, Ron exploded. "What does she mean, 'loyalty is very important,' 'pull Malfoy out of his depression.' She's gone nutters!"

Hermione, who in the past had always fought with Ron, was now the only person able to calm him down. She put her arm around his waist and spoke softly, "Loyalty is important, it means a lot to a person."

"Really now, how so?"

"Well, if you decided to be disloyal to me by going out with someone else, you've lost someone very important to you, right? And earned the reputation of a cheater."

Ron stared down at the floor. "Ron, you're important, don't think otherwise," said Harry, putting a hand on his shoulder. Ron's bouts of self hatred had increased lately and it had been driving Harry insane. "Where would we be without you and your mad chess skills?" he asked jokingly, referring to their times in first year.

Ron gave a small smile, "I'm still not as important as either of you."

Hermione pulled him to a stop, "Shut up." She stood on her toes and kissed him quickly, Harry turned his head, still unused to seeing his two best friends behaving like they did. He heard a giggle, "Harry, do we make you uncomfortable?"

He turned, "No, of course not," he said to Hermione, who promptly kissed a grinning Ron again. Harry rolled his eyes and stalked into the common room to find Ginny. She was in a corner playing a game of exploding snap with Neville.

"Hey, Harry," they both said, barely looking up from the game.

"Hey, Neville. Ginny, I need to talk to you."

"Can it wait?" she asked, looking up, but stood, "I'll be right back," she said to Neville before walking away with Harry.

"Me, Ron, and Hermione just got back from McGonagall's office."

"Ok…"

"We have to," he leaned against the wall, taking her hands in his, "Leave, she wants us to-"

"Well then, I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not."

"Says who?"

"Says me. You're safer here."

"I want to fight, Harry!" she said loudly enough for people to turn, Ron and Hermione looked up from their seat in front of the fire with grim faces at his predicament. Harry imagined they were laughing inside at what he was having to do.

"Ginny, this isn't fighting, this is international cooperation. Believe me, during the final battles no one will be able to keep you from fighting."

"But I-"

He put his finger on her lips, "When that time comes, I want you at my side."

"So you can keep an eye on me," she said scathingly.

He grinned slightly, "Of course. That and I want someone I love and can trust at my back."

The look on her face confused him, "What?"

"You love me?" she asked, looking into his eyes.

Harry started, realizing he had never really said it before, "Yeah, I do," he said, then, grinning, bent and kissed her.

"Wotchers, Harry!" exclaimed a teal-haired Tonks as they walked in. "Ron, Hermione!" She came to them and gave them all hugs.

"Dora, dear, let them breathe, they haven't even put their trunks down." Harry looked over her shoulder to see a tired, yet amused, Lupin leaning against the wall with his hands in the pockets of a set of robes that were noticeably less shabby than his normal clothes.

She laughed and released them, dancing her way over to him, "My dear, I believe they are just fine." She put her arms around him and looked up into his eyes.

"When did you decide to go with green?" asked Hermione, holding a trunk that was considerably reduced in size.

"First of all, it's teal," she said, still smiling, as always. "Second of all, a few days ago. Remus hates it." She reached up and ruffled his hair.

"I don't hate it…I just think that a more natural color looks best on you," he said, the both of them seeming to forget that there were three others in the hallway with them.

Ron cleared his throat.

"So, where are our rooms?" Harry asked, interrupting the two.

"Oh, they're up here, follow me," Tonks said, skipping away only to run into a hat rack standing beside the wall. Remus lazily reached out and caught it, looking as though it was now second nature to him.

The three of them shook their heads and followed her. "Hermione, you're with me, I've taken to living here, I gave up my apartment. Harry, Ron, you're in the room beside us, beside that's Draco's room. Remus' away so much, he doesn't have a room," she said, her voice holding a hint of worry. "When you're settled in, I think the higher ups want you three to see if you can get _him_ to talk."

They nodded and went into their respective rooms.

"Harry, I'm not going to talk to him," said Ron, sitting on his bed.

"We don't really have a choice. He hates us all, but we have to do our duties," said Harry, though the idea of being civil towards Malfoy made him cringe.

"I refuse to-" The door swung open.

"So, are we going or not?" asked Hermione, who had stopped knocking many years before.

"I'm not going," stated Ron, causing Hermione to roll her eyes.

Harry stood, "Suit yourself, I'm going, Hermione?"

"Yes but, Ron, I don't know why you're being such a prat."

"What? Me, a prat?" he scoffed, "He's the prat, he's the one called you a mudblood second year. The one let the death eaters into the castle, the one gave us all such crap all through school."

She rolled her eyes again and stepped out of the doorway. Harry started to walk to the door, but stopped by Ron's bed, "You didn't see him on that tower, he seemed like a child who had lost his way." Ron crossed his arms and lay on the bed, refusing to budge. Harry sighed and walked out the door, standing by Hermione.

"Was he always like this?" he asked her.

"For the most part," Hermione said, smiling. "I believe one of the first things I heard him say was 'no wonder she hasn't got any friends.'"

"You remember that?" He shifted, slightly uncomfortable.

"You'd be surprised how long a hurt can last." Her smile faltered for a moment before she stepped up to Malfoy's door. "Well?"

He sighed deeply, "Let's have at it."

She knocked on the door and waited. There was nothing. Harry knocked, louder, the sound echoing down the hall. Still, there was no answer. He glanced at Hermione and turned the knob slowly, when nothing happened and there was no resistance, he pushed the door open. "Malfoy?"

They walked in slowly and looked around, there was barely any light in the room. Dark, heavy curtains hung over the window with only an infinitesimal gap through which a thin shaft of light shown and a short candle sat on the bedside table. The sunlight shown on a face that had once been full and bright, but was now long, wan, and deathly pale.

There were dark shadows underneath his eyes and his hair hung in stringy clumps around his face. It had once been bright blonde, but was now dirty and lacked the luster it had had in his school days.

"Draco…" Hermione murmured, stepping closer to him. "Oh, my…"

"Don't come near me, mudblood," he said scathingly. His voice still held an iciness that seemed as though it would never go away, but it sounded tired and it shook slightly.

"Don't call her that," Harry said, rolling his eyes at the old insult. "It stopped being hurtful a long time ago, it's just annoying now."

"Don't tell me what to do, Potter," he spat the name.

"You have no right to be a jerk, _Malfoy_," Hermione said, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Oh, really?"

"If you haven't noticed, you have no social standing whatsoever now."

"Is that what you think, Granger?"

"Well, considering both of your parents are now dead," she emphasized the last word with an icy stare, "And the rest of your family are death eaters."

At the mention of his dead parents, his face fell slightly and he stood, taking a few steps towards them.

"Malfoy…" Harry warned quietly, standing slightly in front of Hermione.

"Harry, I can take care of myself," she said, putting a hand on his upper arm. He took a step back as Draco stepped forward, standing directly in front of Hermione.

"So, you think you're so big and bad, now?" he said with his characteristic smirk, though it was not as menacing as it had once been. Harry put a hand on his wand in his pocket, tensed to bring it out if it was needed. Hermione put her chin up, staring defiantly into his eyes.

Draco stared down at her, he was nearly as tall as Ron. "Back up," Harry said, reaching out a hand, "We just want to talk to you."

"Interrogate, you mean," Draco said, not looking away from Hermione. "Just like the other Order members have done." His eyes darkened as if the memory haunted him.

"They couldn't have done anything bad…"

"You think your Order doesn't have any corrupt members?"

"They did what they had to do," said Hermione.

"Really?" he asked, "And what is it they did, mudblood?" he whispered the name, putting a hand in his pocket as though to pull out a wand, the other reached to her shoulder to pick away a piece of lint.

A body pushed Harry and Hermione to the side and grabbed Malfoy, running his frail frame against the wall.

"Ron!" Hermione called, "What are you doing?"

But Ron had Malfoy pinned to the wall, his fist wrapped in his shirtfront. "Don't touch her, ferret-boy," he growled, "I don't want your filthy hands on her." He pulled out a want and put it in the tender spot beneath Malfoy's jaw line, forcing his chin up.

"What is this? The weasel and Granger finally got it together?" He smirked and Ron twisted the wand.

"Ron, stop," Harry said, reaching for him.

Ron ignored him and came nose to nose with Malfoy, "Take your hand out of your pocket."

"Like this?" Malfoy asked, pulling out his hand and grabbing the one Ron had wrapped in his shirt. Ron pressed his wand more, and Hermione came up, following Harry, but afraid to touch Ron, not knowing if he would hex Malfoy. "You idiot, they took my wand!" he said, grimacing from the pressure of Ron's wand.

"What?"

"They. Took. My. _Wand_," he said, speaking slowly, as if to a child, "Imbecile, you think they would let me keep it?"

"Ron!" Harry and Hermione said together, Harry pulling on his arm. Ron let go and Malfoy slid to the floor, rubbing the spot Ron had had his wand at. Hermione went forwards and started to kneel beside him, but Ron pulled her up.

"Come on, Hermione," he said, leading her out of the room, leaving Malfoy and Harry alone.

"Is it just me, or has he gotten stupider?" asked Malfoy, not getting up. He pulled his knees to his chest and looked up at Harry. "Kind of reminds me of Goyle."

Harry gave a grim smile, "He's just protective of her."

"At least he didn't try eat slugs on me again," he said, smirking.

Harry rolled his eyes, "So…what exactly did they do when they interrogated you?" he asked as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because, like it or not, we're all you have. If they did anything…" he trailed off, "I could try and get it right."

"Of course, the famous Harry Potter, you can do anything. Used to getting your way, aren't you?" Malfoy picked at his nails, studying them intently.

"How is that unlike your life used to be?" Malfoy was silent, "Well?"

"They do what you want willingly, because they care for you," he said, wrapping his arms around his knees and staring at the floor. It was Harry's turn to be silent. "I got what I wanted because I was the only child of a man in high social standing that had money coming out his bum."

Harry sat, surprised that Malfoy had spoken so quickly and willingly, and let the words sink in. "You have no idea what my life was like before Hogwarts."

"You have no idea what mine has been since."

Harry studied him and saw a slightly haunted look on the man's face. He realized that they had a lot they could learn from each other. "Maybe you could tell me," he said quietly. Malfoy paused a moment, then looked up, meeting Harry's eyes.


End file.
